WE Connect website brings together money-saving resources for Hawaii families

HONOLULU—Hawaii is joining a nationwide effort started by California First Lady Maria Shriver in 2005 to connect residents with money-saving resources and opportunities.

The WE Connect campaign aims to bring various resources to the attention of those seeking opportunities, including the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a refundable federal income tax credit for low-income working families and individuals. The EITC allows qualifying families of four to earn up to $5,028 in credits. In 2008, Hawaii recipients of the EITC reached 88,000 and received more than $155 million in credit, according to the Hawaii Governor’s Office. 

“We launched California’s WE Connect program in 2005 when we found that so many families struggling financially were not aware of the money-saving programs and support services that were already available to them,” said First Lady Shriver.

The WE Connect campaign is multi-faceted, with the primary push being WEConnect.net, a website with links to resources, locations, and contact information for helpful organizations and offices. The WebConnector tool is designed to help people determine whether they qualify for any assistance programs: EITC, Child Tax Credit, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Women, Infant, and Children’s Program (WIC), or Child Care Credit.

Because of the recent economic downturn, many who have not previously qualified for programs may now be eligible.

The Hawaii site features links to public and private local resources, such as food pantry locations, free tax locations, job postings, career fairs, internship and volunteer opportunities, and free legal help locations. Contact information for public community schools and social service offices are also listed on the website.

The Hawaii WE Connect site also provides small business resources, including links to online business registration though the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) and advice for new business owners.

For more information, visit WEConnect.net.