By Karen Robes Meeks
Last year, 960 charities and nonprofit programs benefited from donations totaling $3.7 million from Honolulu-based Matson Inc.
Matson gave $1.42 million in cash, services and equipment support to Hawaiian groups and $1.24 million to Alaskan organizations. The company supported Kahauiki Village, environmental programs in Alaska and food banks in Alaska and Hawaii. The company also donated $180,000 to United Way chapters in Hawaii and Matson’s mainland US cities; $60,000 to the American Heart Association; $55,000 in support for Coast Guard Chief Petty/Warrant Officer Associations in Guam, Hawaii, Alaska, Wash., and Calif., $37,000 to the American Red Cross and $35,000 to the Coast Guard Foundation for programs and services in Hawaii, Guam, Alaska and Calif.
The company also provided $40,000 toward expanding and operating a youth shelter, Covenant House, in Alaska, and continued to support the Hawaii State Department of Education’s Beginning Teacher Summer Academies with a $25,000 contribution.
“As a lifeline service provider for more than a century, Matson is deeply invested in the welfare of the communities we serve,” said Matt Cox, chairman and CEO. “This year, with the unprecedented effects of the pandemic being felt by families everywhere, Matson is focusing its resources on addressing our communities’ most pressing needs. As a way to help make sure the most vulnerable families don’t have to go without food, Matson has committed to more than $500,000 in cash and in-kind shipping services to support the food bank networks in the communities we serve.”
