Gather Federal Credit Union breaks ground in Kilauea

KILAUEA — Gather Federal Credit Union will be present in Kilauea following a period of absence, said Gather FCU President and CEO Tess Shimabukuro on Wednesday, as she led a small group during the groundbreaking for the credit union’s newest branch.

Shimabukuro said Gather had a presence in Kilauea after the credit union was founded by a group of eastside farmers. That eventually disappeared until the groundbreaking.

A sign with an architect’s rendering of the seventh Gather FCU branch on the island welcomed guests to the new location, which is directly across from the Kilauea post office, and sandwiched between a pair of Permanently Affordable Living Kaua‘i housing projects.

The gathering included Hope, pronounced “ho-pay,” Kahu Ku‘ulei Wichimai of Ke Akua Mana Church, board members of the Gather FCU, and the credit union’s management team. Prominent guests included Gary Pacheco, who has been a Gather FCU member since 1964, and Bill “2 Sticks” Chase of the Kilauea Neighborhood Association and Permanently Affordable Living Kaua‘i.

Shioi Construction is the contractor of the project, which is expected to be finished by early 2024.

Additional details were not available Wednesday, but a Gather FCU official promised more details in the near future.

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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.