Dear KKV ‘Ohana,

This has been a challenging and yet remarkable year for KKV. I want to express my deepest gratitude for all our staff, board, patients, and partners in the community who have worked so hard and achieved so much.

2021 marks the end of a half-century of service for KKV, creating an important opportunity for reflection and transformation. The mid-century point allows us to make use of the important lessons learned since we started on this journey back in 1972.

Today, there are just a handful of KKV old timers who remember the pre-internet days when we not only knew our patients but knew their parents and children. I continue to feel a sense of awe that I have the privilege to work in a place that puts people and relationships at the center of all we do.

Few of us imagined that COVID-19 would continue to shape our world nearly two years after the pandemic started. We are exhausted from the daily anxiety and uncertainty of how and if things will get back to “normal.” Let’s acknowledge this and take a moment to breathe in the clean air and appreciate the clear water that daily surrounds us in Hawaii. Let’s give thanks for the opportunity to live and work in one of the most diverse places on earth and to share in ancestral traditions that connect our families and our communities.

In many ways, COVID has reminded us that KKV’s founders got a lot of things right. Although we have introduced new technologies, telehealth, iPads, etc., it is the focus on relationships that continues to set KKV apart. It is also KKV’s work rebuilding our food system, restoring our forests, educating our keiki, and supporting the gifts of our community that allow us to change the narrative around health and disparities and to build resilience and a sense of optimism.

Fifty years is longer than many of our staff or patients have been alive. Looking backwards and recognizing how far we have come will keep us centered as we go forward. The work of service and healing is a collective effort especially for our island communities.

Mahalo for all your generosity and support this past year. With deep gratitude and aloha this holiday season,

David Derauf