Ofa Matagi for Utah Politics

Absolutely ❤️🤍💙

Utah Pacific Islander Health Coalition in collaboration with SLCC West Valley Center and ARUP Utah will be holding a Healthy Communities- Mini Health Fair, Friday March 1st from 4-8:00pm highlighting 15+ community health focused organizations.

Amongst the health resources available our health fair will be providing a vaccine clinic under UPIHC’s USAging ADVC (Aging and Disability Vaccination Collaboration) grant with immunizations administered by the Salt Lake County Health Department. Attendees who choose to receive a COVID-19 booster or flu shot and visit at least 7 community tables (as confirmed on their Health Journey Passport) will be entered into our prize raffle. 

Although the Healthy Communities Health Fair is focused on reaching primarily NHPI (Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander) communities, this event is open to the general public and welcomes any and everyone to participate. Dinner will be first come first serve with a LIVE DJ and Music for the whole family to enjoy! Please feel free to share widely, invite your friends and networks to join us next month. We look forward to seeing you there!

New spaces & friends, learning a lot along the way 🥰

Joined my friends Senator Karen Kwan and Senator Nate Blouin on the floor last week. Grateful always for Kwan’s friendship & mentorship over the years… I’ve learned so much from her leadership and proud to call her my Senator ❤️🤍💙

AAPI Caucus Day earlier this month 🥰 and got to witness Senator Karen Kwan’s Joint Resolution Honoring Utah’s Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Cultures and Communities: SJR9 pass the House with an unanimous vote 👏🏾 and always LOVE seeing a few of my favorite legislators on the House Floor: Representatives Ashlee Matthews, Wheatley, Spackman Moss and Clancy 🤩

Malo aupito aunty Ivoni Nash for inviting a few of us from UPIHC to the Tala Koula radio 🗣️🎙️show earlier this month. We are so excited for all the great things happening in our non-profit and what is to come this year for our Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander communities of Utah 💙

Attending an Community Health & Civic Engagement event yesterday at TUMC: Tongan United Methodist Church with multiple community stakeholders. This picture is actually much bigger and encompasses so many amazing people from the Westside (apologies the picture crops out on IG smh) but it’s the support for who HD31 wants in office representing them that is pretty clear 🤩 *Please note this is my personal page, not affiliated to any organizations I am apart of- Malo Aupito 🙏🏽

Not just a good day, but a great day 🤩 Thank you for sponsoring: Joint Resolution Honoring Utah’s Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Cultures and Communities (SJR9) “This bill recognizes the contributions of Utah’s Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities to the prosperity of the state. It also encourages residents of the state to participate in events fostering an appreciation of Utah’s Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. This bill was presented in committee on 1/26 and unanimously passed 🎉

Grateful for his legacy and have made it my life mission to expound on the great Dr. Martin Luther King’s principles of Non-Violence. To me, this day has always been more than a holiday. I join my fellow MLK commissioners today as “a day on, not a day off.” Let us commemorate & live out his work and his legacy by actualizing our thoughts and feelings around human rights, as well as building a “beloved community” we all can partake in 🖤

The other week my parents and I got to welcome a special guest back to Utah all the way from the Friendly Islands of Tonga 🇹🇴 My mom’s brother, Samiu Kuita Vaipulu and his wife Mele 🥰 it was so nice to catch up and hear about the things he has been working on back in the homeland.

My uncle Samiu is a Tongan politician and Cabinet Minister. He was the Deputy Prime Minister from 2010 to 2014, a Minister for Trade and Economic Development and currently serving as the Ministry of Justice ⚖️🏛️ He takes after my grandfather, the late Honorable Judge Viliami Ahio Vaipulu 🕊️

*This is not Utah specific- political/community based news but since there are many Tongan and-or Tongan American residents in our great state… thought to share ☺️

Thank you to my dear friend Dr. Melissa Hall for inviting me back to 🙌🏾 campus to speak to her students about non-profits. So nice being able to co-panel with my friend Martín Muñoz with Voices for Utah Children 🥰 Navigating my roles from being a volunteer, serving on committee’s-boards, to a full time employed staff and now an Executive Director has been a memorable experience thus far. Looking forward to continue developing in my current role 🙏🏽

Excited to support my sister in her legislative run for the Utah House of Representatives HD31 💙 So much love and respect felt for Verona from our communities at her campaign kickoff! Looking forward to a successful 2024 🤩 If you haven’t already, be sure to follow-subscribe, lend your time & donate to her campaign.

Grateful for OCA Utah & Le Malu opening up their 🎥 film screening of “Next Goal Wins” ⚽️ to the community. UPIHC appreciated the opportunity to have our Aging and Disability Vaccination Collaborative PSA debut 🎬 We had so many phenomenal community champions be apart of this project 💙 *Stay tuned for more details about our immunization/vaccine project (Influenza & Covid-19 booster).

The other month I had the honor to sit in on the “Bonding and Bridging Across Society”: A Conversation with John Powell (U. C. Berkeley, Othering & Belonging Institute) and Arthur Brooks (University of Utah Impact Scholar). “In a world marked by conflicting opinions, divides, and deepening polarization, it is critical to seek and create opportunities for dialogue that bring communities together for common-ground solutions.” As always very proud of my sister Nubia Peña for facilitating this crucial dialogue so beautifully!

A Special Thank You 🙏🏽 to a few of our special guests in attendance to UPIHC’s health week… amongst many of West Valley’s city council member’s was WVC very own Mayor, Karen Lang and HD30 Representative Judy Weeks

Hey friends, family & community members 👋🏾 join me next week as I co-facilitate a UPIHC ITAV: It takes a Village discussions. Starting off Thursday August 10th @ 6-8pm at the Hunter Library in West Valley City 🤗 We will be holding 4 FONO’s (discussions) this month. In addition providing a delicious dinner & a babysitting stipend if needed :) Be sure to scan the QR CODE to REGISTER. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out. Please share as well! health

Late post- so behind on posts of fun events 🫠 despite this crazy ☀️ heat, it’s a great time enjoying annual traditions with the family & connecting w/a few of my favorite community leaders & friends. West Fest is always a a good time 🤩

Late post but wanted to express a heart felt Congratulations 🎉 to our Westside Leadership Institute English & Spanish graduates last month! So proud of the amazing projects for community engagement and action to resolve important issues to our Westside residents ❤️ Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be an instructor & share my experiences on effective community empowerment!

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We're excited to announce the APAICS 2023 Salt Lake City Regional Leadership Academy (RLA)! Join APAICS from June 30 - July 1 to learn how to run for office as an Asian American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander (AA & NH/PI) in Utah.

The APAICS RLA is a two-day leadership training event for current elected officials, individuals seeking to run for public office, and community stakeholders. APAICS partners with local organizations to deliver interactive political training with topics ranging from developing your campaign plan, communications, digital organizing, power mapping, volunteer recruitment and management, and fundraising.

Learn more using the link in bio!

Last week had the opportunity to share space on a AANHPI (Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander) panel for the West Valley Frito Lay’s PAN division in honor of this month. Appreciate all the great insight from my friends & colleagues on what inspires them in the industry fields they are in, what does this month mean to them and ways we honor our heritage & cultures 💙 Thank you for inviting me to be a part of this great dialogue & for the fun factory tour afterwards!

MALO LELEI EVERYONE 👋🏾 my sisters .slade and are facilitating 4 of these workshops! If you’d like to participate be sure to register and sign-up with them 💙 Meal, compensation & child care included for your participation. Repost from
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In Utah, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander experience infant deaths (babies that pass away before their first birthday) at almost twice the rate of other groups. But we can work together to change that. Our "It Takes a Village" program is a 4-week course that meets once a week, providing knowledge and resources on infant and maternal health to all caregivers - whether you're a current or future parent, aunt, uncle, or grandparent. After all, as the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child.

Join us in supporting our little ones by signing up today! Register today https://bit.ly/itav523

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May 1 marks the start of Asian American & Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AA & NH/PI) Heritage Month! This month, we celebrate the AA & NH/PI figures, past and present, who have uplifted and empowered our incredible community. Stay tuned to see all the celebratory events we have set for this May!

This semester I’ve had the honor to co-instruct the Westside Leadership Institute’s English class in West Valley City with my brother, community leader Jake Fitisemanu Jr. So many great partners have contributed to this course utilizing the “Road To Community,” workbook. I was pleasantly surprised to see a my former MPA grad professor, Dr. Kenneth Embley as a lead contributor to the Adaptive Leadership curriculum. Also to see other notable academics, such as my POLSCI undergrad professor Dr. Luke Garrot! Excited to attend this culminating milestone of our students community issue projects & moving forward with actionable solutions ❤️

Sister .lang.panoke you’ve outdone yourself in bringing together our communities to celebrate creative leaders doing meaningful work 👏🏾 such an amazing event! Always a special treat to see and her husband, a sweet reminder of my beautiful Matagi parents in Samoa ❤️ Congrats to the creative recipients for their outstanding work across our state 🎉

Mana Academy’s First Annual Scholarship Gala with some of my dearest friends & colleagues. Shout out to my beautiful sister for inviting me and hosting the University of Utah’s Pasifika Department’s table! Honored to have shared space with the amazing teachers, administrators and especially the scholars of Mana. Best wishes on your academic journey ahead ❤️🙏🏽

MLK Day 2023: Art and Essay Contest Awards Ceremony. Congrats students 🏆🎉

🚨 FRIENDS MY ACCOUNT HAS CEARLY NOT BEEN HACKED. PLEASE REPORT 🚨 THIS FAKE ACCOUNT People clearly do not have better things to do with their time 🤦🏽‍♀️ smh

Grateful for these amazing women in our Utah Senate, trailblazing for all womyn to be heard and empowered in our great State 💙 Repost from
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The Senate celebrates the achievements and progress of women during National Women's History Month ❣️