US Treasury gives grants to help Native Hawaiians

HONOLULU (AP) – The U.S. Treasury Department is awarding more than $1.5 million to help provide loans and financial services to Native Hawaiian families.

Donna Gambrell, director of the department's Financial Institutions Fund, made the announcement Wednesday.

Gambrell spoke at the 10th annual Native Hawaiian Convention, where she told the gathering that seven organizations in Hawaii received awards this year, the most of any state.

The fund awarded nearly $12 million to 35 Native Community Development Financial Institutions and organizations serving economically distressed Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities across the country.

U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye says the awards comes as the Native Hawaiian community has been hit especially hard by the recession.