 Aloha and welcome to another edition of Business in Hawaii. I'm Daelyn Yanagida and we broadcast live from the ThinkTech studios in downtown Honolulu. If you want to tune in live, we are at www.thinktechhawaii.com. You can sign up to get on our mailing list there as well. The theme of Business in Hawaii is to bring you stories of local businesses by local people and our guests share with us their journey to building successful businesses in a sometimes challenging environment. In the ThinkTech studios today is Ann Komatsu. Ann is the executive director of the Aloha Diaper Bank and Moms on Emission, Hawaii. And thank you so much for joining us and welcome to the studio. Thanks for having me. I know for a fact that you are involved in just a plethora of things. And I'd like to start by talking about your co-foundership of Moms on Emission. So myself and a very good friend of mine, actually a childhood friend of mine, so we grew up together. She is Roxanne Kimura and we are co-founders of Moms on Emission, Hawaii. And we're just moms. We're moms and grandmas now of kids. And you know when moms have good things to share, we kind of have a coconut wireless network and we share it with each other. So that's how we began doing Moms on Emission. So Moms on Emission started with a need? Yes, it did. It started with a need of my girlfriend, Roxanne, lost a child when she was just six years old. And when she lost that child, she saw a need to give back. She wanted that to be part of her healing. And one of the houses that we decided to give back to was the Ronald McDonald House. So we thought, okay, let's go up there and what good things can we do for the Ronald McDonald House and help to service them. So one of the things that we talk about on business in Hawaii is how you started up business. And in your case, how you started up this non-profit, what is that like? I mean, how does that work? You know, it was just the two of us starting it. And then because of our mission and what we saw that we could help with the Ronald McDonald House, we actually gathered more moms. So more moms actually came on board with us and started helping us to donate to the Ronald McDonald House. So for the past nine years, we've donated so many items to the house to help them with just cleaning the house and making sure that it was healthier and safer for them. So that's kind of how we started just two moms and starting our mission together. And now it's just going into a way bigger thing. So how old is Moms on Emission? We are nine years old as Moms in Emission, Hawaii. And do you have a membership? Yes, we do. Small membership, you know, about 20 or 20 or so moms that come and help, you know, do different projects that we do and it's growing. Now are those projects focused on the Ronald McDonald House? No, that was just one thing that we did. So Moms and Emission Hawaii, our mission is to share in the community healthier and safer choices that can be made by families. So Ronald McDonald House was one of the choices that we made that people didn't really know about. They didn't know that Ronald McDonald House is a home away from home for six children. So children that live on the outer island or in the Pacific can come to this house with their families and actually live there while their kids are going under treatment. So but it's something that we wanted to get out of the community. We've done other things. We've supported the visitor actually wanting to become dentists from the University of Hawaii. It's a pre-dental school. So they actually are getting ready to apply for dental school and they wanted to do a project and get dental health out there in the community. So we've supported them. We did a project at Kahala Mall and had them do the whole hygiene and dental information to the people of Hawaii. Then we also did Ho'olunapua. We supported them and getting the word out about them. So human trafficking out there is a real thing. And a lot of moms didn't know about it or a lot of moms were kind of like, well, yeah, things like that don't happen here in Hawaii. So we actually approached Ho'olunapua and put a workshop together, had them come in and share with us what human trafficking is like in Hawaii. And yes, it is a real thing. Just before I came here, I was mentioning to you that I had a mom call me and was very concerned about one of her kids Instagram messaging. There's somebody that he didn't even know and sitting pictures of himself, the somebody that he did not know. So she said, I remember you doing the workshop and I'm so thankful because what should I do next? So it's things like that that we want to share with moms out there. Those are three big things that we've done in the community and I think making a difference with moms and families. We just find so many things that we can keep on sharing forever. There's so many healthier and safer choices that can be made out there anywhere from not only of course human trafficking, but also the things that are happening in the schools and drugs and vaping and so many, so many different subjects that we could go on and on and on. So how does mom's on a mission choose? How do you choose what your cause is? Yeah, basically we choose from what we see a huge impact with. We actually go to different places like Soolunapua. We actually went to them and watch and listen to what they had to share. And when we did that, it was like, wow, this is a huge impact. So the board said, let's let's do something. Let's get let's get out there and share it. So we actually also partnered with Shriners Hospital and they let us come in and use their facilities to put on this workshop, which is another actually another cause that we like to share because of course a lot of people don't know about Shriners and that they can take their children there that have been injured right in sports and they can help to treat those kids for a low cost or no cost. So we were really thankful with Shriners too. Wow, you folks are such an active group. So of the 25 members that make up mom's on a mission, are all of you grandmas now? No, there's you know, and some of them are really not moms. Some of them are just women that want to be out there and helping in the community. You know, so and they come in the goal in our circle. But when they are moms, they're anywhere from a young brand new mom to us grandmas. So it's a really great diversity in the age. Dads can be moms too. Yes. Dads are moms. Dads are moms. And so we welcome the whole family to come and take part. Very nice. Very, very nice. And I know that you've actually dedicated your life to community and giving and giving back and what amazing work that you spend your life doing. So I do know that you're also a Rotarian. Yes. Which Rotary Club do you belong to? So I belong to the Rotary Club in East Honolulu. We meet at Wildlife Country Club and do a lot of amazing things there too supporting our community. Tell me about what it takes as a person to live this life of giving. You know, I guess it's the values and the upbringing. I've always, I've come from a family of all my uncles or firefighters. So every single one of them. And my mom, probably my biggest influence is always, always been in the community, always serving as the president for this or the president for that. It's always been unconditional with them, you know. So for me it's been like, it was just something natural for me to just step into. And like I was saying, my girlfriend Roxanne and I, I mean, we've just come from a service background, I guess. So it just, you know, it made sense to just get out there. And we thought, who's going to listen to two moms, you know. But we love Hawaii. We love our grandkids. We love our kids. I'm not all of our kids live here. Unfortunately, they've moved away, some of them. And but, you know, we grew up here and we want to keep Hawaii, Hawaii. And we want to help our people. That's a good point. So with moms on a mission, all of the things that you do in conjunction with Shriners, with Ronald McDonald House. So are those services that are serving Hawaii families? They serve Hawaii families as well as families in the Pacific. So both, you know. So that's great too. Because we do have a lot of Pacific Islanders that come here and, you know, the nearest hospital, I think the greatest hospital, Kapilani Hospital and Shriners can service those children. So it's a good that they have a place to stay. And they have places that can help them as families, keep the family together. I think what's nice about moms on a mission is that you're that medium. That brings those resources to Hawaii for families in Hawaii. They don't necessarily have to be Hawaii residents, but folks who are experiencing things in Hawaii. And I do know that you have a project, a huge project coming up. And that is actually based off of a national, a very large organization, which moms on a mission is sponsoring. And we're going to go to a quick break. But when we come back, I want to talk about your new project and how exciting it is that it's coming up on its launch. We are going to take that short break and we'll see you back here shortly. Hi, I'm Rusty Komori, host of Beyond the Lines on Think Tech, Hawaii. My show is based on my book, also titled Beyond the Lines. And it's about creating a superior culture of excellence, leadership, and finding greatness. I interview guests who are successful in business, sports, and life, which is sure to inspire you in finding your greatness. Join me every Monday as we go Beyond the Lines at 11 AM. Aloha. Aloha and babuhay. My name is Amy Ortega Anderson, inviting you to join us every Tuesday here on Pinoy Power, Hawaii. With Think Tech, Hawaii, we come to your home at 12 noon every Tuesday. We invite you to listen, watch for our mission of empowerment. We aim to enrich, enlighten, educate, entertain, and we hope to empower. Again, maraming, salamat po, babuhay, and aloha. Welcome back to Business in Hawaii. Joining us today is Anne Komatsu, executive director of the Aloha Diaper Bank and Moms on a Mission. Before we left to break, I was asking Anne about Moms on a Mission in Hawaii. And if, of course, it's tied to a national organization, which it is not. And, Anne tells me that after some research that there is no other organization like that. I've never seen one yet. I've searched on the web, but I haven't seen one yet. Does that mean that you're going to roll out the... That would be a very big, huge undertaking with all the things that we have. But it would be a great thing for Moms everywhere to be an advocacy in the community. I think that Moms, Moms always have an opinion. Yeah, absolutely. But they're also passionate about issues that affect their children. What a great way to rally membership into a strong organization. She's driving the need for supporting community. Oh, I can't wait till you do that. And also, before we went to break, we started talking about Moms on a Mission and how you keep taking on projects. And your newest project, for which you are Executive Director of, is called the Aloha Diaper Bank. Yes. What is the Aloha Diaper Bank? So, you know, we've been out in the community supporting a lot of other things. And we came together and we thought, what is it that Moms on a Mission can get behind? And what can we be a cause for and help with? So we found a diaper. You know, one little thing, a diaper out there. And we found the diaper need. So in October, Roxanne and I got on a plane to Atlanta, and we went to the National Diaper Bank conference. Never thought there was such a thing. Never knew of such a thing. I was going to say there's a conference for diapers. Yes, never even dreamed there was such a thing. But we got on a plane and we went there and met 200 other diaper banks in the United States, all over the United States. Amazing women and men that have opened diaper banks around the United States. And unfortunately, there are four states that did not have a diaper bank. One of them was Montana. I think another is, I can't remember now, but there were four. And one of them, of course, was Hawaii. And when we saw that, it was like, we need to do something to help Hawaii families that are in diaper need. Now, we do have a smaller diaper bank that started in Kona two years ago. And they are Hawaii diaper bank. And I want to give a shout out to them. That's Jessica. And she is a former nurse. And she started, she saw the need for diapers in Kona and is actually spread over the whole big island of Hawaii. And she's an amazing woman. She's turned her home into the diaper bank and she drives around and supplies diapers to families in need. So it's great, great, great things like that. So who is a family in need? So a family in need is somebody that is low income or in crisis that needs help in supplying diapers to them. It takes about eight to 10 diapers a day for a child to be in. So if you think, maybe we think of 10 diapers a day, that's 300 diapers a month. And families are in need out there. One in three families have diaper need. So here in Hawaii, we have about 56,000 children under the age of three years old and one in three of them are in diaper need. Wow. So that's a lot of diapers. How much does a diaper cost? Anywhere from about 100 diapers is anywhere from $30 to $40 a month. So if you're good and you can go do that shopping at Sam's Club or Target or any of the other stores that are in sale, then you're very fortunate. But a lot of families are not. And a lot of families go without food to make sure that their children are diapered. So it puts a lot of stress on the child and on the family. Boot stamps, unfortunately, do not cover diapers. Is that right? There is no government assistance that helps to cover our diaper. So that was another big eye-opener for us when we went to the diaper bank. So that's very, very heart-wrenching. The other thing is that if a family does get covered with diapers, it lessens the stress, of course, on mom. So it lessens that stress on them. The child can go to preschool because they have diapers with them to go to preschool. The families get much more support and they can thrive from there. Other things like children sitting in a dirty diaper all day long really, really hampers their health. So we want to help with that. And we are, like I said again, some moms, but we've had so many moms and people come out to support our diaper need. So we just did a huge collection this past December. We actually asked people to do diaper drives for us. So we had two people do diaper drives for us. One was Hoy Fitness Now, which is just a fitness clinic. He wanted to do something different. And we said, hey, you do a diaper drive for us. So he did that. And then we also had Hoy Chiropractic Clinic who did a diaper dive for us. And we collected almost 8,000 diapers. Wow. I think we have some photos of that drive. Yes, we do. We do have some photos. Can we put those photos up? So this was last week Saturday. We had a diaper drive. And then what we do is we actually repackage the diapers. So this is a youth group from the LGS church that wanted to come out and do some service for us. So they came out, 18 kids strong and their leaders and they started wrapping diapers for us. So we do it by size. We do it by 25s so that we can manage the giving out of the diapers. And this is them packing it here. And then just some of the diapers. Wow. And that's Roxanne. And she's helping and teaching them how to wrap diapers. And then this is all the youth. And this is all the diapers that we collected, which is great. So we even have one of the young men there. He's like, I want to do an ego project and do a $10,000 diaper drive for this summer. So it's great. So I hate to ask the question, but I think this really drives to the point of why you're doing what you're doing. Tell me about what families do if they don't have diaper resources for their children. Unfortunately, they do a lot of things. Number one is they'll keep baby in the diaper all day. So one diaper all day long, which is a big health hazard. Of course, rash and different things that happen. They'll use other methods. They'll use t-shirts. They'll use plastic bags. They'll use paper towels. They'll use anything that they can get their hands on to actually type that. Yeah. Now, at the same time, too, a lot of people ask, well, diapers. I mean, a disposable diaper. You know, how are we going to dispose of the diaper after that? So I agree. How are we going to do that? But it really doesn't make sense to do a cloth diaper because people or families who are in low income or in crisis, that's just really not feasible for them to do. And in our day, we did try the cloth diaper thing. Now, if you look for a cloth diaper, it's very, very expensive. And then, of course, laundering it would be just really hard to do. I hear you. I hear the environment calling because we know I am all about that also. So I've put it out there. I love to put it out there that, hey, maybe Hawaii could be the one to find out how we can recycle these diapers and how we can turn it into fuel or something. So that would be great if we found somebody to take on that project. That is amazing. And partner with us. That would be so amazing. That would be so amazing. Yeah. It might be a high school kid that comes with that. Maybe. I just never know. Yeah. So how do you decide? How do you distribute the diapers? So what we do is we work with agencies because they work with the families one-on-one. So we'll work with the agency. They will call us and say, I've got Johnny, you know, two years old. That's in diaper need. And can you go ahead and can we get diapers from you? So we will work with them. We'll give them a pack of diapers like this, packed in 25s. And usually 50 diapers will last maybe, you know, a week or so. So, you know, it's a lot, but at least they'll have diapers for them. And we work with them. So a lot of times the agencies know their needs and it's better for them to be working with the agency. So we've partnered with a couple so far. We're partnering with Head Start and Early Head Start. So we'll be servicing those families. But we are looking for partners in the community that we can help to service. In the few minutes that we have left, I want to turn that over to you to do your ask and allow people an opportunity to get in touch with you. So if they want to do diaper drives or if they want to learn more about how to get involved. And what's next? I mean, I know that the Aloha Diaper Bank is just launching. April is your big launch. So tell us about how we can support you and how we can get involved. So April is our big launch. We're actually doing a launch and a fundraiser for diapers. You know, we could buy a whole container of diapers for $6,000 because we're a non-profit and we can get over 200,000 diapers. That is amazing. And then ship it to Hawaii and then we repackage it. So we are doing a fundraiser called A Nature Remember. It's going to be at the Pomaikai Ballrooms on the 13th. And we're actually bringing in an Elvis live from Las Vegas. He's great. He's the ultimate Elvis. But it's called A Nature Remember so we can remember good times and a great entertainer, but also remembering that one in three families are in diaper need. So that is our launch this coming 13th of April. And if you'd like to know more about that, you can go to the Aloha Diaper Bank, alohaddiperbank.org and you can get tickets there. And if you'd like to come out just to support us, you'd love to do a diaper drive. We would love for you to do a diaper drive. And that's also on our website is there's a diaper drive toolkit that you can get and contact me, my information is here on the show. And I will be more than happy to help with that. Let's get some of your email address out there along with Facebook. So we are on Facebook. So Aloha Diaper Bank on Facebook and Instagram. We're alohabank.org as well. So you can go on to our website. And then you can email me if you need to. So and comatsu.mom at gmail.com and just email me. And we can get together and help wrap up some diapers. Amazing. I want to thank you for not just being on the show, but for your commitment to living a life of service. It's moving. It really, really is. Yes. So thank you so much for being with us. Thank you. Unfortunately, we are out of time. But I want to thank Ann and the amazing production staff here in the studio. The Business in Hawaii show airs every Thursday at 2 p.m. And we are looking forward to seeing you here next week.