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About Kōkua Needed

In 1997, my brother Jim and I were confronted with a locked gate across a path my family and community had used for generations. This path led to the safe ocean access and surf spots in Maunalua Bay.  As community members, we didn’t know who to contact to ask how the gate was allowed to be installed and, most importantly, how to have it taken down and restore community access to the ocean. Jim and I, and other community members, spent months and then years trying to navigate our way through the City and State system trying to find out who we need to speak with, what department is in charge of ocean areas, and how do we create change.  

We spent so much time making phone calls and researching all we could; 

from simply trying to understand Access laws, to trying to get the email or phone number of someone in a City Department or State Agency to answer our questions, to searching for Tax Map Keys etc. There were so many obstacles and no one place to go to to help us with the critical information we needed. 

Through the years, my brother Jim and I talked about creating a place where we could share what we learned; from what offices and elected officials to call, to the numbers of the County offices and State Agencies, to County and State laws pertaining to access rights, cultural site protection and protection of Hawaiian Iwi Kupuna. 

Kokuaneeded.com is a website I designed to give one place for community members to go on-line to one website and find out how to get information for these different community issues unique to Hawaiʻi on a simple, clear and easily navigable website.  It is what my brother Jim and I spoke about all those years ago.

Please remember, the community having a voice is important in a democracy and a major part of having a voice means voting, so this website also includes a link to the Hawaii Online Voter Registration webpage. 


I hope you find this website helpful.


Me Ke Aloha,

Ann Marie Kirk

Kōkua Needed 

P.S.  Jim and I and our community were successful in a nearly 25 year struggle to have the locked gate taken down and a Public Right of Way established. to the ocean.

About the Red Kī Leaf Logo

Red Kī leaf, or Ti leaf, is used for many purposes throughout Hawaiʻi; from wrapping food or makana, to weaving into a lei, to creating hula skirts.  Kī is also used for medicinal healing and spiritual practices. 


The Kī image for Kōkua Needed is being used because this website is trying to assist the community in how to take action and help and heal in areas where there has been wrongdoing to our cultural sites, our natural resources and kūpuna.