About Hoʻōla Nā Pua

Who We Are

Our Mission

Hoʻōla Nā Pua (New Life for Our Children) was founded to shine a light on the dark criminal enterprise of child sex trafficking, placing the health and healing of Hawaiʻiʼs youth at the center of its mission.

Our Vision

A community where every child is safe and empowered to embrace a bright future. We remain dedicated to ensuring Hawaiʻiʼs most vulnerable youth understand their worth, know they are not at fault, and have access to futures free from violence.

The Calling

Founder Story

More than 17 years ago, Hoʻōla Nā Pua began with a call to Shine the Light to bring visibility to injustice, awaken compassion, and move people to action on behalf of children who were too often unseen.

Founder Jessica Muñoz, a nurse practitioner working in emergency and trauma care, began recognizing signs of physical and psychological abuse in sexually exploited children in Hawaiʻi. At the time, child sex trafficking was rarely understood or openly discussed. The trauma these children carried could easily be misidentified as abuse, behavioral problems, substance use, or instability, leaving the exploitation itself hidden and the deeper needs of the child unaddressed.

Jessica saw more than individual cases. She saw a profound gap in the systems meant to identify, protect, and care for vulnerable youth.

And so she began having the difficult conversations.

She spoke with healthcare providers, law enforcement, government leaders, child welfare professionals, educators, community organizations, and anyone willing to listen. Those early conversations were not always easy. They required naming an issue many did not yet recognize, challenging assumptions, asking hard questions about how systems were responding, and bringing people together around a shared responsibility to do better for children.

Those conversations became a movement.

Hoʻōla Nā Pua – New Life for Our Children – was founded to shine light on the dark criminal enterprise of sex trafficking while placing the health, healing, and future of Hawaiʻi’s youth at the center of its mission. Over time, that commitment grew from awareness and education into prevention, early identification, advocacy, direct care, trauma-informed services, and ultimately the creation of Pearl Haven, a specialized residential treatment program built to provide the depth of healing these young people deserve.

For more than 17 years, Shine the Light has remained at the heart of the work. Today, shining the light means more than raising awareness. It means seeing what others may miss. It means being willing to have difficult conversations. It means illuminating what healing truly requires and building the relationships, programs, and systems necessary to make that healing possible.

What began as one clinician refusing to look away has become a community committed to ensuring that vulnerable youth are seen, protected, supported, and given the opportunity for new life.

Jessica R. Munoz, Founder of Pearl Haven and Ho'ōla Nā Pua

Jessica R. Muñoz

MSN, APRN-RX, FNP-BC
Founder, Ho'ōla Nā Pua & Pearl Haven

The people guiding our mission.

Our Board of Directors brings deep expertise across healthcare, finance, community development, and survivor advocacy. Each member is united by a shared commitment to the children of Hawaiʻi.

Executive Leadership

Jessica Muñoz

Founder

Hoʻōla Nā Pua

Clinical emergency nurse practitioner with 18 years of healthcare leadership. Opened Pearl Haven and trained globally in trauma-informed care. Recipient of the Department of Homeland Security National Award for Exemplary Partnerships.

Steve Beattie

Co-Chair

Global Anti-Financial Crimes Leader

Expert in human trafficking, anti-money laundering, and cryptocurrency risk. Brings extensive board leadership across sectors and a global lens to HNP's financial integrity and governance.

Julie Hong

Co-Chair

Director, AECOM

27 years of infrastructure and environmental planning experience. B.S. Environmental Science & Art History (University of Virginia); M.S. Environmental Science & Policy (Johns Hopkins). Executive Board Member, Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE).

Robin Yoshimura

Vice Chairperson

Brand Ambassador, Black Bear Diner

25 years with Black Bear Diner. Board Chairperson, Saint Louis School's Education Programs. Over 30 years of charitable board service across Hawaiʻi.

Keith Winnacott

Treasurer

CPA & Finance Professional

20+ years in public accounting and consulting. Formerly Director of Accounting & Reporting at Maui Health Systems. University of Maryland graduate.

Sonya Gomes

Secretary

SVP & Division Manager, Central Pacific Bank

25 years in banking and financial services. MBA, University of Phoenix. A steady operational voice on HNP's governance and institutional partnerships.

Board Members

Chris Perkins

Board Member

Executive Coach

31 years of mental health leadership; former division president, regional VP, CEO, and executive director. Founder & CEO, Velocity Health Group.

Erin Evans

Board Member

Broker/Owner, CENTURY 21 Island Homes

HNP volunteer since 2020. Wounded Warrior Ohana supporter. Honolulu Board of Realtors Grievance Committee member.

Jacquie Laird

Board Member

Retreat & Event Coordinator

5-year HNP volunteer. Background in retail management, merchandise, and holistic wellness. Teacher and Event and Retreat Coordinator.

Jessica Nohara Salvacion

Board Member

VP & Group Controller, Servco Pacific

CPA; University of Hawaiʻi degrees. Officer sponsor of Servco's Wahine Allyship Group. Brings deep financial acumen and community commitment to the board.

Melissa Jackson

Board Member

Zilber Family Foundation

Zilber Family Foundation and Adventist Health Castle boards. Make-A-Wish Hawaiʻi development committee member.

Sondra Leiggi-Brandon

Board Member

VP Patient Care, Behavioral Health & Medicine

Board-certified Family & Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. Dual master's degrees in Nursing and Public Health. Omidyar Fellow. Hawaiʻi Business Magazine '20 for the Next 20.'

Charles Kaneshiro

Board Member

Chairman, G70 Design

35+ years in institutional and educational facility design. Hawaiʻi's first Green Schools Advocate. 2024 Regional President, Association for Learning Environments.

Board Emeritus

Karen Tiller-Polivka

Board Emeritus

Hoʻōla Nā Pua

College of William & Mary graduate. Former leadership at Virginia Opera, Opera Memphis, Opera Festival of New Jersey, and Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre. Board service: Joyful Heart Foundation, Kapiolani Hospital Foundation.

Advisory Board

Dr. James Elliott

Advisory Board Member

Advisory board member contributing strategic guidance to Hoʻōla Nā Pua's mission and community outreach.

Pa’lee Showalter

Advisory Board Member

Advisory board member contributing strategic guidance to Hoʻōla Nā Pua's mission, operations, programs, and fundraising.

HOʻŌLA NĀ PUA Staff

Shelley Cramer, CEO

Development Staff

Andrew Aguirre, Director of Marketing & Public Relations

Angela Arias, Public Relations & National Strategy Manager

Rose Balagtas, Director of Development

Leslie Nollie, Sr. Donor Relations Officer

Business Operations

Fazil Ahmed, Analytics Manager

Kent Anderson, Senior Director of Operations and Community Programs

Tiare Venuti, Office Administrator

Community Programs - O‘ahu

Tammy Bitanga, Director of Community Engagement

Belinda Fagin, Program Coordinator

Ashley Flick, Education Program Coordinator

Marissa Gordon, Director of Community Programs - O‘ahu

Corey Takahashio, Program Coordinator

Kira Yamazaki-Gray, Program Coordinator

Community Programs - Hawaiʻi Island

Anastasia Ayers, Director of Programs, Hawaiʻi Island

Marjorie Perez, Program Coordinator

Lovey Silva, Hoku Program Coordinator

Transparency

Annual reports. Published every year.

HNP's annual reports document program outcomes, financial stewardship, and the cumulative impact of donor support. They exist because accountability is not optional, it's how trust is built and maintained over time.

Annual Report 2025 (Latest)

Annual Report 2024

Annual Report 2023

Annual Report 2022

Annual Report 2021

Annual Report 2020

Accountability

Credentials that reflect rigorous standards.

Independent verification matters. HNP's ratings, certifications, and affiliations are not decorative, they represent ongoing standards for financial transparency, governance, and operational accountability.

For donors making meaningful gifts, these credentials provide a foundation for confidence that goes beyond mission alignment.

Give With Confidence

Rating

4-Star Charity Navigator

Charity Navigator's highest recognition, reflecting strong financial health, accountability, and transparency standards.

Certification

GuideStar Transparency Seal

GuideStar Platinum-level certification for organizational transparency and public disclosure practices.

Affiliation

Partner Agency of AUW

Recognized partner of Aloha United Way (#80370), Hawaiʻi’s leading community impact organization.

Federal

CFC #26421

Approved Combined Federal Campaign charity - federal employees can direct payroll giving to HNP.

Registration

EIN #46-5139164

Registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Clinical

CARF-Accredited Facility

Pearl Haven holds CARF accreditation, the gold standard for behavioral health and human services organizations.

Take action

Building a future where every child is safe.

Healing requires stability. Stability requires partnership. Your support strengthens safety, dignity, and long-term resilience for Hawaiʻi’s youth.

One-time gift

Respond to urgent needs across care, prevention, and recovery.

Monthly giving

Create steadier support for programming that must remain consistent over time.

Leadership partnership

Fund deeper capacity, long-term growth, and durable systems of care.

Give Now Partner in Prevention Volunteer Opportunities