A Life of Showing Up
Lisa Contreras Jensen believed that every young person deserved someone in their corner — especially those the system had forgotten.
Lisa's journey with Hawaiʻi Friends of Restorative Justice began around 2005, when she heard a presentation at Aliʻiolani Hale and felt immediately called to the mission. From that moment, she never looked back. She volunteered with HFRJ for about 20 years, and over time deepened her commitment by joining the board, serving as treasurer and board officer for five years.
Lisa founded the Kalihi Leadership Academy (KLA) in 2016 — a grassroots effort that began simply, with her meeting youth living at Kalihi Valley Homes and arranging for them to spend time with caring community volunteers. No grand infrastructure, no fanfare. Just people showing up, making sure young people knew they were seen and that someone cared. Many of the youth come from the Micronesian region of the Pacific, growing up navigating real challenges and bias. KLA was Lisa's answer to that — a community built on showing up, every single time.
On October 4, 2025, after more than a year of living bravely with ovarian cancer, Lisa passed away. We grieve alongside her husband Mike, her son Thor, her longtime friend and colleague Innocenta Sound Kikku, and the entire Kalihi community she loved so well.
The Kalihi Leadership Academy will no longer continue after May 2026. With Lisa's passing, HFRJ no longer has the capacity to lead the Academy forward — establishing the scholarship in Lisa's name keeps her commitment to Kalihi youth alive.
Cash scholarships will go directly to elementary, secondary and college students as funding permits.
Lisa showed up for people. Every day. That's her legacy.
