2025 December Newsletter
Talofa, Hafa Adai, Aloha, Ran annim, Kumusta, Mole e lelei, Kia Orana, Kia ora, Hola, and Hello to our Dear VOPIN Community!
A Season of Hope, Strength, and New Beginnings
As we look back on the start of this school year, uncertainty was everywhere. Yet amid it all, we witnessed something profoundly hopeful: our students kept moving forward. They chose growth. They chose courage. They showed up—day after day—even when life felt heavy, complicated, or unfamiliar.
With limited staffing capacity, VOPIN’s Education Navigators have been sharing their time between Bremerton High School and Mt. View Middle School. Even with this reduced presence, one truth has become unmistakably clear: the need has not diminished. For five years, our partnership with both schools has demonstrated the powerful, lasting impact of consistent, relationship-centered support—especially for students navigating academic challenges alongside significant life transitions.
And this year, the need became even more urgent.
Ongoing economic uncertainty continues to shape the daily realities of families in our community. Students are arriving at school carrying far more than backpacks—they carry stress, instability, and responsibilities far beyond their years. While their resilience is remarkable, resilience alone is not enough. Students need caring adults, steady guidance, and reliable support systems to help them remain grounded, confident, and hopeful.
Imagine being a middle school student sitting quietly at a desk as the lesson moves on without you. You hear English, but it doesn’t quite make sense. The math problems feel impossible. You want to belong, yet everything around you reminds you that you are struggling to keep up—and that you feel different.
How would you feel?
Confused. Embarrassed. Invisible.
This is the daily reality for many of our students. And that sense of isolation doesn’t end when the bell rings—it follows them into their relationships, their learning, and their belief in what’s possible for their future.
This is why our work matters.
This is why your partnership is essential.
Join Us—Be the Hope Our Students Need!
The stories shared throughout this newsletter are not just stories of hardship—they are reminders of what becomes possible when caring adults step into a young person’s life with compassion, consistency, and belief. As our community grows, so does the need for more presence, more support, and more people willing to walk alongside our youth.
Your support allows VOPIN to remain present in schools, guide students through moments of transition, and respond quickly when families face crisis. Whether it’s academic support, family navigation, or simply being a trusted adult who listens, your generosity turns uncertainty into stability and fear into possibility.
A gift of just $10 a month can help ensure a student does not have to face these challenges alone. It helps keep doors open, relationships strong, and hope alive.
Join us as a monthly donor today.
Together, we can build pathways of belonging, resilience, and opportunity—so every student, no matter where their story began, has the support they deserve.
As we move into 2026, we invite you to stand with us.
Join us in strengthening relationships.
Join us in restoring hope.
Join us in building a future our youth can believe in.
Fa’afetai, Si Yu’us Ma’åse’, Mahalo, Salamat, Malo ‘aupito, Ngā mihi nui, Kinisou, and heartfelt thanks to everyone who walks alongside us. Together, we continue to uplift, advocate, and navigate with love.
With gratitude,
The VOPIN Team
Voices of Pacific Island Nations
May this Christmas season remind us that hope is born in moments of love, compassion, and community. As we reflect on all that we’ve shared and all that lies ahead, we wish you and your loved ones peace, strength, and renewed hope—carried forward by the same spirit that brings us together and sustains the work we do, side by side.
~ Youth Power & Voices ~
Where Belonging Transforms Learning and Life
When students feel like they truly belong, everything begins to change. Hope takes root. Confidence grows. Possibility feels real. And often, that transformation doesn’t happen in big, dramatic moments—it begins quietly, in the ordinary spaces where care and consistency show up day after day.
Between the first bell at Mt. View Middle School and a twenty-minute tutoring session, we see it happen. A student sits with a donut in one hand and a pencil in the other, carefully working through factoring and order-of-operations problems they once believed were out of reach. There’s no spotlight, no announcement—just patience, encouragement, and the steady presence of someone who believes in them.
Because it’s never just about the math.
It’s about feeling supported and welcomed.
It’s about trust built over time.
It’s about that quiet, powerful realization: “I can do this. I belong here.”
That same spark shows up in the conversations Maria, our Education Navigator, has with high school students. When she asks, “What’s after high school?” the room often fills with a mix of hesitation and possibility. Many students have never been invited to imagine a future beyond graduation. Yet as the conversation unfolds, their eyes begin to brighten. Dreams emerge—college, career paths, military service, new opportunities they hadn’t thought were possible.
With guidance, encouragement, and a sense of belonging, students begin to see that their next chapter isn’t something to fear—it’s something they can shape.
These small moments—shared breakfasts, breakthroughs during tutoring, quiet conversations between classes—are the building blocks of hope and academic success. They remind us that belonging isn’t abstract. It’s lived, felt, and practiced every day. And when students experience it, they don’t just survive school—they begin to believe in themselves and their future.
At the start of this school year, we invited our 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-grade students at Mt. View Middle School to explore a simple but powerful idea: Hope. What followed was both moving and affirming. As students reflected on what hope means in their own lives, we witnessed growing confidence, kindness toward one another, and a quiet determination to keep going. These conversations created space for students to recognize their strengths and understand that challenges do not define who they are—or where they’re headed.
When asked, “What can you do to stay hopeful when you face challenges?” students shared thoughtful responses that revealed resilience and self-awareness well beyond their years. Another question—“What are three things you are hopeful for this year?”—invited them to imagine the future. Their answers were filled with optimism, courage, and persistence. Even when life feels uncertain, our students are learning how to hold onto hope and practice it daily.
Students also shared how meaningful it felt to connect with peers and feel welcomed at school. These responses reminded us of the essential role of safe, supportive spaces in learning and growth. When students feel they belong, confidence rises, engagement deepens, and learning becomes possible.
VOPIN cannot do this work alone.
Every day, we see how small, consistent moments lead to meaningful change—a student finally understanding a math concept, a quiet teen finding the courage to speak up, a smile that signals growing trust. These moments don’t happen by chance. They happen because caring adults and community members choose to show up, again and again.
You Can Make a Lasting Difference
Many of the students we serve face challenges like housing instability, food insecurity, and family stress—burdens that can make it challenging to focus in class or imagine a hopeful future. These are heavy realities for young people to carry, but they do not have to carry them alone.
With steady, compassionate support, those burdens can be eased. A gift of just $10 a month can provide stability at critical moments—helping ensure students have what they need to learn, supporting families through times of stress, and reminding young people that someone believes in them. Small, consistent acts of generosity can lead to meaningful, lasting change.
When you partner with VOPIN, you help replace obstacles with opportunities. You help create safe, supportive environments where students can grow academically, socially, and emotionally. Your generosity turns uncertainty into confidence and challenge into possibility.
No child should have to choose between survival and success.
With your help, they won’t.
Join us as a monthly donor today and be part of a community that believes in every student’s potential.
“Together, we create pathways to success.”
Help Fuel Dreams Through Education
Every gift creates a ripple of hope. From putting school supplies in a student’s backpack to keeping a family safely housed, your support gives our youth and families the stability, resources, and encouragement they need to thrive. With your generosity, you’re not just giving—you’re opening doors, easing burdens, and helping dreams take flight.
$10–$25 equips a student with essential supplies, giving them the tools to learn, grow, and succeed. Your gift ensures they can show up ready, confident, and fully engaged in their education.
$50+ provides transportation for a student or family, giving them the means to get to school, work, or life-changing appointments. It’s more than a ride—it’s a pathway to opportunity, connection, and a brighter future.
$100+ supports a family of five or more, helping prevent eviction and maintain stable housing. It eases food insecurity, provides technology for children to keep up in school, and connects families to critical resources—lifting the impossible burden of choosing between survival and stability.
And support doesn’t have to be financial. You can also volunteer your time and heart as an interpreter, mentor, tutor, or event supporter—helping strengthen the village that lifts up our youth and their families.
We envision a vibrant and interconnected community rich in cultural identity in which the youth of Pasefika communities thrive and are empowered to contribute to the ongoing legacy of strength, resilience, and inspiration for generations to come.
With deep gratitude—Fa'afetai tele lava, Mahalo, Si Yu'os Ma'ase, Salamat, Malo-e-lelei, Kinisou, Ngā mihi nui ki a koe, Sulang, and Thank you for believing in what’s possible.
A Village That Listens Is a Village That Heals—Your Support Makes It Possible
~ Community Power ~
Community Power ~ is the idea that when people in a community come together, they can create real, lasting changes--for themselves, for their neighborhoods, and for future generations!
Families across our community continue to feel the weight of today’s economic realities—especially those who have long carried the heaviest burdens. The cost of everyday necessities like food, housing, and healthcare remains out of reach for too many. For families living paycheck to paycheck, even the smallest increase can force painful decisions between rent, groceries, medicine, or getting to work.
These financial pressures don’t exist in isolation. They deepen long-standing inequities and directly affect our students and their families, limiting access to stability, opportunity, and the resources they need to succeed. Many young people are quietly stepping into adult roles—working to support their families or caring for siblings—often at the expense of their own education and well-being.
And yet, even in the midst of hardship, the strength of our community endures. Our resilience is rooted in culture, connection, and care for one another. It is in these moments that we are reminded of who we are and how we move forward—together.
VOPIN remains steadfast in our commitment to walk alongside families, bridge critical gaps, and open pathways to opportunity. We believe every child deserves to be supported, valued, and seen—not just in times of ease, but especially in times of challenge.
When Community Power Is in Motion, Lives Are Transformed by Love and Compassion
When families face financial strain, the path forward can feel uncertain and overwhelming. In those moments, VOPIN staff step in as steady guides—listening first, responding with care, and working tirelessly to gather and coordinate the resources families need to stay afloat. Whether it’s helping keep the lights on, ensuring food is on the table, or preventing the loss of stable housing, our team walks alongside families with dignity, faith, and compassion at the center of every step.
This work is only possible because of the community that surrounds it. Time and again, our community partners, friends, and neighbors have stood beside our staff—living out their faith through humility, generosity, and love in action. Together, we are reminded that no one walks this journey alone.
The Voices of Our Community: Sharing Challenges, Celebrating Wins
The spirit of Christmas calls us back to the story of the Holy Family searching for shelter—met with closed doors, yet carried forward by humility, mercy, and love. That same spirit is alive in our community today.
In the middle of an ordinary day, an urgent call changed everything. A multigenerational family had just been evicted—no plan, no shelter, nowhere to go. Fear and uncertainty set in as the reality of that moment unfolded. Maria, our Care Navigator, moved quickly, leaning into the power of trusted relationships built over time. Through the generosity of Dr. Haws and the team at Clear Creek Dentistry in Silverdale, emergency housing was secured. That single act kept the family safe, together, and off the streets during one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.
Soon after, another family faced a crisis of a different kind. A leaking roof threatened the safety of their home, turning what should have been a place of refuge into a source of stress and fear. Our staff reached out, and without hesitation, Bluebills stepped in. They bought the materials and repaired the roof at no cost—restoring not just shelter, but stability, dignity, and the deep reassurance that this family had not been forgotten.
These moments are not isolated. They are the result of a community that chooses compassion, collaboration, and action. When families face closed doors, our partners help open new ones. When circumstances feel overwhelming, support arrives right on time. This is what hope looks like in practice—and it is made possible because people choose to show up.
You can help keep this spirit alive. A gift of just $10 a month sustains critical, timely support for families during their most challenging moments—turning faith, humility, and compassion into genuine, tangible care.
Together, we can ensure no one in our community faces a crisis alone.
Become a monthly donor today—and help turn love into lasting impact.
What's Happening in the Community
Tax-Advantage Ways to Donate and Support VOPIN
By donating stock held for more than one year, you can reduce taxes on capital gains and deduct the fair market value, making your contribution financially savvy and responsible.
Amplify your generosity with a pre-tax gift (let the nonprofit keep the proceeds that would have been paid in taxes)
Donating stock through the most trusted name in stock gifting ensures your contribution is fast, safe, and free, giving you peace of mind.
* Capital gains tax and NII tax rates range from 18.8% to 37.1%, depending on your income and locality. Donate through DonateStock
King County employees: Donate through the King County Employee Giving Program
Washington State employees: Donate through the CFC Washington State Combined Drive
