Promotional video of the King Lunalilo Trust and the Lunalilo Home featuring it’s deep history and daily operations and life of employees and kūpuna.

OUR MISSION

E malu ke kanaka i ka lokomaikaʻi o Lunalilo.

TO ADVANCE KING LUNALILO’S WILL TO SHELTER AND SUPPORT THOSE IN NEED.

Drawn graphic of inclusive and caring community of all ages

OUR VISION

Nā kūpuna māhua i kauhale aloha.

THRIVING KŪPUNA IN LOVING COMMUNITIES AND HOMES.

Drawn graphic of a caregiver using a stethoscope on elderly patient

A trust established by
King William
Charles Lunalilo
SERVING HIS PEOPLE

Historical black and white image of King William Charles Lunalilo in a formal suit

King Lunalilo established the King Lunalilo Trust in 1871 to create a charitable foundation for the poor, destitute, and infirm people of Hawaiian descent, with a preference for the elderly. This was the first time a Hawaiian chief set aside land in a will for charitable purposes. The trust addressed the growing problem of displaced Native Hawaiians who had lost their ʻohana and ancestral lands due to epidemics and the effects of the Māhele of 1848.

The original Lunalilo Home opened in Makiki in 1883, serving 53 residents, including younger adults and blind individuals. By the 1920s, Lunalilo Home had become recognized as a haven for Hawaiian culture. In 1928, the home moved to its current location, thanks to a generous donation from the Irene Īʻī Brown Holloway estate. Since a renovation in 2002, Lunalilo Home has offered three services for kūpuna (elders): residential care, an adult day center, and meals-to-go. In 2007, Lunalilo Home opened the residential care program to all kūpuna regardless of ancestry, with a preference for Native Hawaiians. Today, we continue to advance King Lunalilo’s mission to provide shelter and care for the Hawaiian people.

Services