Page 1 - MidWeek East - Jan 4, 2023

NEW HIRE
Michael-Thomas Foumai lands a new role at an East O‘ahu organization.
SEE PAGE 2
JOLLY CHRISTMAS
HUGS Hawai‘i families benefit from a holiday breakfast event. SEE PAGE 3
Waimānalo Woman Leads Nonprofit
FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 4, 2023
A PUBLICATION OF
AN EDITION OF
New CEO of Honolulu Habitat for Humanity TJ Joseph
(left) hands over the keys in Waimānalo to celebrate the homecoming of William “Uncle Wili” and Cheryl Gramberg. The Grambergs are Habitat’s 90th homeowners on O‘ahu, and they surprised guests with a vow renewal, marking a new chapter for them as homeowners and as husband and wife. PHOTO COURTESY HONOLULU HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
RBY STEPHANIE LOPES
ecently, TJ Joseph was named CEO of Honolulu Habitat for Humanity — a difficult role to fill when more
than 24,000 families in Hawai‘i lack safe, durable shelter they can afford, according to the nonprofit’s recently released strate- gic plan.
Joseph knows firsthand that “keys to a new home are keys to a new future,” she says, and she has the experience, inno- vative mindset and fortitude to make the dream of homeownership a reality for more families.
In 2006, Joseph was selected off the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands list for land in a new Waimānalo subdivision. That same year, to save money for the home build, she eloped with her now-hus- band, Levi.
The elation of being recently married and receiving land quickly dissipated when Joseph was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Any money they had to build a home was spent on medical bills and caring for their
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