Our Story

Roots of the Hanai Foundation

The Hanai Foundation was founded by Bend resident Kimberly Smythe to create opportunities for the community to gather while inspiring respectfulness, creativity, and inner-standing. The Foundation’s focus is community sustainability, courageous connection, and the breaking of barriers. Our peers and partners are individuals, businesses, and non-profits that care deeply about creating non-ideological togetherness and interconnection.

Kimberly and her family moved to Bend in 1998, leaving their home in Hawaii behind to follow a dream. The island spirit and teachings Kimberly inherited from her family live on today at Hanai. In Hawaiian, the word Hanai means to nurture or sustain. Our purpose is to help others serve the ‘Self’ first — not by being selfish, but by aspiring to fulfill and heal one’s self before serving others.  We believe that it is our kuleana (responsibility) to let go of that which does not serve us and embrace life with courage and grace – it is the fundamental mark of a complete community.

Hanai was made possible by the Smythe Family and it will be with the love and support of the community that Hanai will grow and flourish.