About Ola'a Community Center

The idea for a community center began in 1999 with a group of students at Hawaii Community College thinking about community building.  In spring of 2003, another group of HCC students got together with Dr. Noelie Rodriguez of the sociology department, and had the same kind of ideas – which now have begun to grow into a reality in this wonderful old wooden school building.  Out of this brainstorming and a series of meetings came the Grassroots Community Development Group, which is the initiating force in drawing people together from the larger Puna community. 

MISSION for GCDG

To strengthen our communities through the cooperative development of programs and services for all of Puna.

GCDG is an organization that connects people to one another and to resources and opportunities that heal and enhance their lives.