About

Philosophy

HUGS is an organization dedicated to providing support and enhancing the quality of life for Hawaii 's seriously ill children and their families. We accept our families exactly where they are, so to speak, at their present emotional, physical or spiritual level. Our non-judgmental approach quickly establishes rapport and increases the comfort level between the families and HUGS staff. If a particular need is outside the scope of our services, we aggressively network with those agencies that can fill the gaps. HUGS membership is non-disease specific and all of our services and programs are completely free of charge to families residing in Hawai'i who meet our eligibility criteria. The foundation upon which all of our programs and services is built is also our mission statement, "Providing support, compassion and aloha to keep families with seriously ill children together." Our founders recognized that families with seriously ill children are burdened with so many challenges and stressors to overcome; the population as a whole is at extreme risk. Not only do these families experience unusually high divorce rates, but they are also constantly challenged financially, spiritually, emotionally and by a myriad of other issues related to their child's condition. Serious illnesses can impact each individual member of the family in very significant and often different ways. For this reason, HUGS' approach is holistic in nature. HUGS programs are designed to provide support to all family members. We strive to keep the family together in the face of overwhelming adversity.

Here at HUGS we do not use words like "terminal" or "hospice." Most of our children survive and stay with us for a period of several years while their family copes with diagnosis, treatment and beyond. Then, when the time is right the family moves on, but only when they feel ready. HUGS is not a bereavement group. HUGS is a joy centered place where there is always a lot of fun and family oriented activities going on