Fund Set Up for Family of Honolulu Social Worker

HONOLULU, HI | April 01, 2021 – Central Pacific Bank (CPB), in partnership with the local non- profit, Adult Friends for Youth (AFY), will help collect donations for the surviving family of Honolulu social worker Malakai “Mo” Maumalanga.

As of April 01, 2021, donations may be made at any CPB branch. Checks can be made payable to: The Malakai “Mo” Maumalanga Memorial Fund. A list of CPB branches can be found here: cpb.bank/locations. Donations will also be accepted on the AFY website at afyhawaii.com/donate. Please indicate on the form that your donation is for The Malakai “Mo” Maumalanga Memorial Fund. Donations are not tax deductible.

A former gang member, Maumalanga successfully transitioned from his destructive gang life to becoming a well-respected professional in the community. AFY worked with Maumalanga from an early age and continued to work with him through his youth and early adulthood.

Maumalanga focused on his education and earned a Bachelor’s and Masters in Social Work. Through his work with AFY, Maumalanga dedicated his life to helping others and most recently served as their Director of Redirectional Services. Maumalanga is survived by his wife and three children ages 13, 3, and 2, and two foster children ages 18 and 17.

“Mo was an amazing young man that had so much respect for people,” said Deborah Spencer- Chun, President and CEO of Adult Friends for Youth. “He was charismatic and the person in the room everyone wanted to be with. He had a heart of gold and gave so much of himself to the young people AFY served. He wanted to always give back what he was given in life…a second chance. He will be dearly missed. I, the other staff members, and the family have been inundated with calls and texts because of all the lives he has touched. He was truly a peaceful warrior and a champion for our kids.”

About Adult Friends For Youth

Since 1986, Adult Friends for Youth has devoted passion, energy, and resources to provide healthy alternatives to gang membership, violence, and school failure. AFY currently serves youth who are engaged in violent and destructive behaviors. Without proper intervention, these youth may be a burden on society with higher risks of incarceration, unemployment, homelessness, and poverty in adulthood. AFY redirects the lives of high-risk youth by providing five distinct programs. For more information, visit www.afyhawaii.com.