ʻĀina Warrior: Bernice Musrasrik

“You always know things are going to be okay when Bernice is around. She has a way of making everything better and run smoother, with lots of love and intention. No matter the task, she always does everything with the same high level of integrity and effort. That's one of the things I love about her.” - Megan Inada, Hui Hoaka Coordinator

Project Coordinator Bernice Musrasrik is beginning a new chapter of life after more than nine years at KKV. We deeply appreciate her contributions to KKV and the lives she has touched. That’s why we are featuring her as this month’s ʻĀina Warrior.

Bernice first became familiar with KKV in 2014, as a volunteer for the Hoʻoulu ʻĀina Mahi ʻĀina program. A few friends asked her to join, and she instantly felt a connection. “It felt like a calling,” she said, laughing as she recalled spending nearly all her free time at Hoʻoulu ʻĀina. “If I wasn’t at my normal job, I was at the farm.” After regularly volunteering for more than a year, Bernice became KKV’s first AmeriCorp VISTA in 2016, which is a government volunteer work program aimed at building capacity at nonprofit organizations. As a VISTA, she worked with Roots doing various projects with the land, like cooking and gardening.

*Bernice tends to the ʻāina. Photo by Kaʻōhua Lucas.*

Over the years, Bernice took on multiple roles at KKV. When the COVID pandemic hit in 2020, there was a massive shift in our community, which included Bernice’s role. She joined Hui Hoaka, the research and data team, to spearhead a new program aimed at addressing the Social Determinants of Health for our Kalihi community. “Joining Hui Hoaka was probably the highlight of my KKV journey,” said Bernice. “Our collective efforts in serving Kalihi during this chaotic time really inspired me to keep doing more.”

In 2022, KKV received a grant to invest in virtual care for our patients. As we were still working through the pandemic, finding new and modern ways to reach our community and care for them was especially important to Bernice. For two years, she led the Optimizing Virtual Care project, helping to expand patient access, provide digital literacy training, launch KKV’s first communications team, and bridge gaps between clinical care and social determinants of health. This experience taught her a lot about leadership, allowing her to work closely with the administrative team. “We were able to deploy a lot of action items for KKV during this time,” said Bernice.

By 2024, Bernice joined KKV’s admin team as a Project Coordinator. She embraced the leadership role while staying true to her roots. “At the end of the day, I just really wanted to serve Kalihi. When I see a need, I gravitate toward it.” Bernice explained that when she first joined the KKV ‘ohana as a volunteer and then as a VISTA, she expected to spend the next 10 years farming and gardening, and that excited her.

“KKV has a unique way of providing for people, helping them to sharpen their tools and unveil a skill they didn’t know they had.” Surrounded by those who believed in her, she grew both personally and professionally. “I succeeded and failed, and they loved me through it all. They saw something in me that I didn’t see.”

Now, Bernice is moving to Kauaʻi to be closer to family, joining the Ahupuaʻa Accelerator Initiative under the Hawaiʻi Conservation Alliance. Though nervous about the transition, she credits KKV for preparing her. “I’m excited to still be working with community, but now through the lens of conservation. Their values really reflected what I learned at Hoʻoulu ʻĀina.” This full-circle moment brings her back to her roots in caring for the land. “I just wanted to give back to the community. Kalihi cared for me in a way I’ve never experienced, and the best way for me to reciprocate that was to work hard no matter what. I want to mahalo KKV for trusting me, allowing me to grow, and shaping my approach to community work. I’ll miss KKV but will always carry its lessons with me.” Mahalo Bernice for your dedication and service to Kalihi over the years!