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Who We Are
Empower’d is a group for LGBTQ+ and Māhū youth and young adults in Maui County, where we provide an online and in-person meeting space for our community. We organize a variety of activities both at our physical space on the North Shore as well as all over the island. Some of the activities we do are arts and crafts, potlucks, hikes, going to the pumpkin patch, dances, going to Pride, and volunteering with local nonprofits. We believe that connecting with other LGBT+/Māhū youth and adults in safe and positive settings will help youth gain self-esteem, embrace higher aspirations and hope for the future, have better relationships with family, and make friends that last for life.
Our History
During the first Covid lockdown, while many organizations were losing funding, the need for community was stronger than ever. We formed a small Discord server where we would watch movies and play games together. Once it was safe to do so, we started meeting outside and making opportunities for other queer youth to hang out with each other. Since 2020 we have grown significantly, with over 100 members in our Discord server, and 15-20 regular attendees at in-person meetings.