Kaʻū News Briefs Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023

HAWAIIAN DETECTION DOGS IN VOLCANO has received a Pay It Forward Zonta microgrant to further develop its mission to train and deploy sniffer dogs. The dogs detect invasive species in order to mitigate their impacts to ecosystems, and to conduct research and conservation. Hawaiian Detection Dogs founder, Dr. Michelle Reynolds, works with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, U.S. Army Garrison Pohakuloa Training Area, and State of Hawai‘i. She and detector dogs have helped with the preservation of endangered forest birds and seabirds that nest on land.
    The Zonta grant for women entrepreneurs will help Reynolds to develop her website and to purchase a new kennel and training aids for nosework classes and train her own detection dogs.
    The Zonta Club of Hilo presented $6,000 in microgrants for its 2023 Pay It Forward program. The

Pay It Forward Chair Laurie Higashi gave out microgrants to female entrepreneurs  Michelle Reynolds, Adrean Floro, and Jamie Robertson. Photo from Zonta

awards program supports women entrepreneurs on Hawai‘i Island who are starting a new business or working to expand an existing business. The 2023 microgrant recipients were Reynolds of Hawai‘i Detection Dogs LLC, Adrean Floro of Ho‘onani Harvests LLC, and Jamie Robertson of Hana Lima Cleaning Services LLC.
    Floro's Ho‘onani Harvests LLC is a family farming business in Hilo that focuses on agroforestry, mamaki and honey production, and beekeeping education. The grant will go towards renting machinery to expand the agroforestry part of the farm, purchasing more mamaki starter plants, and developing a website. She also plans to 'pay it forward' by providing a beekeeping mentoring scholarship to a financially disadvantaged woman who has the drive and passion to learn about beekeeping.
     Robertson, based in Kailua-Kona, established Hana Lima Cleaning Services LLC in July of 2023. Hana Lima offers office cleaning as well as specialty cleaning services such as deep cleaning, move-in/move-outs, and post-construction cleaning. The grant money will go towards new equipment that will make her operations more efficient, cleaning supplies, and training.
    "We received a record number of applications this year from all around the island. It's inspiring to see so many female entrepreneurs doing innovative and important work in the community," said Laurie Higashi, chair of Pay It Forward. "The Zonta Club of Hilo is proud to provide a financial boost to these three well-deserving women-owned businesses."
    Pay It Forward microgrants are funded annually through the charitable Zonta Club of Hilo Foundation. Donations are tax-deductible. Zonta services the entire Hawai‘i Island. For more information, visit zontahilo.org.