A Hui Hou e Sharde

by Rebekah Garrison, Administrative and Advancement Associate | Reading Time: 2min

Please join the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi as we celebrate the hard work, strength, and joy our dear Sharde Freitas has brought to the Chapter.  Crucial in our efforts to protect our islands and save our planet, for over three years Sharde has advanced the Club’s mission through her tireless community organizing, creativity, passion, teamwork, and legal and policy expertise. 

Sharde is smart, has a laugh that brightens all spaces, and is both fearless and tireless in her work championing environmental and social justice issues. If, through the Sierra Club’s work, you have thought more critically about doo-doo water, invasive species, land use laws, or water protection, then there is no doubt that Sharde has had a hand in shaping your awareness. We are also indebted to her not only for the accomplishments she has achieved on these and other issues, but for also applying her deep love for her ʻāina and culture to help “indigenize” the Chapter - from leading ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi learnings with staff, to uplifting and putting into focus a Kānaka ʻŌiwi worldview in our programs and projects, to helping us connect and collaborate with indigenous communities from other places, all fighting to undo the ongoing harms of Western colonization on their ancestral lands, and on our planet as a whole.

As she sets her eyes on her new position at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, we wish to express our deepest gratitude to Sharde for representing the Club through her genuine love for community and unwavering commitment to justice.  While we are sad to see her go, we have no doubt that she will continue to help create a more resilient and more hopeful future for our islands and our future generations, as she continues to use her relationships, insights, and expertise to advocate for the betterment of the conditions of Kānaka ʻŌiwi and by extension, all of Hawaiʻi.  

Mahalo nunui, Sharde, for all that you’ve done and continue to do. 

Aloha nui and a hui hou!

Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi staff