Our Story

PHOCUSED is an offspring of many community-based movements, which brought together prominent advocates, community groups, and nonprofit agencies fighting for the most under-served citizens of Hawaiʻi. 

The idea behind PHOCUSED began with a group of stakeholders engaging leaders in the health and human services sector to examine more closely those populations most at-risk in Hawaiʻi. This grassroots movement blossomed into an organization that partners with similarly committed organizations and individuals to push for policy changes with, and on behalf of those whose voices are not being heard. 

PHOCUSED officially became a nonprofit entity in June of 2008 and became a project of the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice in 2019.