New Breath Foundation (NBF) invests in organizations run by and supporting AANHPIs with some of the greatest potential. We hope that by sharing their stories, you’ll be inspired to Unleash Your Greatest Giving Potential. We will highlight four inspiring individuals within the NBF community who have either been directly impacted by incarceration or have loved ones who have. These individuals are driving remarkable change in their communities, and we invite you to join us over the next several weeks as we share stories about their transformative work.
Please consider making a gift and sharing their stories with others.
Les Estrella of Going Home Hawai’i
I overcame homelessness, substance abuse, and mental health challenges in my own journey. Having confronted these hardships, I’m passionate about creating and supporting nonprofits and housing programs that care for people with similar experiences.
As the president and CEO of Going Home Hawai’i (GHH), I am dedicated to helping justice-involved individuals safely and sustainably reintegrate into our communities. With 25 years in this field, I focus on clean and sober housing*, community organizing, and coalition building for organizations at various stages in their journeys.
I spent 20 years in Honolulu, where I struggled through a lifestyle of drugs, homelessness, crime, and jail. During this time, my children, who were living with their mom, were abused by their stepfather. Two of my younger kids ended up in foster care, and my oldest daughter eventually came to live with me. When a social worker called to inform me of what had happened, it was a turning point—I had to change my life and get my kids out of the system.
I returned to Hilo and started navigating the court system. It was a tough process, especially as a single dad in the late ’90s and early 2000s when it was rare for fathers to regain custody. But in the end, I was able to bring my kids back home. Today, I’m grateful to say that all of them have overcome severe trauma and are thriving with families of their own.
That experience made me realize the importance of understanding the system—not just for myself, but to help others. I became involved with my church, started working with addiction recovery groups, and then joined social services at the Office of Social Ministry (now HOPE Services Hawai’i). I had a choice to go back to the automotive field or embrace a new path of supporting others. Driven by my own journey, I chose to help others see that change is possible, even through our system’s challenges.
Hawai’i faces unique challenges:
- Native Hawaiians are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system, linked with broader issues in poverty, education, and lack of affordable housing.
- Native Hawaiians make up over 40% of the justice-involved population, highlighting a cycle of systemic issues.
In response, we’re expanding our work to support youth and prevent their entry into the justice system (a “deflection” approach). GHH’s consortium includes strong partnerships focusing on youth programming, addressing the school-to-prison pipeline, and creating early interventions.
One challenge justice-involved individuals face is countering the stereotypes and misconceptions that surround us, which are often reinforced by misinformation on social media. Through our justice-lived experience advisory group, composed of “lived experts,” we share true stories of resilience and transformation, directly challenging these stereotypes. Who knows the challenges of the system better than those who have lived it? By giving these voices a platform, we hope to shift the narrative away from a “them” mentality and towards a united “us,” changing how people view justice-involved individuals as community members.
At the heart of our work is the “second chances” movement, where we believe that people can and do become well again (not just from second chances, but from many chances). Substance use, mental health disorders, homelessness, and housing insecurity are not simply social issues; they are fundamentally healthcare issues tied to disparities in access to care. Our current punitive justice system is broken, focused more on profit than on rehabilitation, which makes issues worse for already marginalized groups, especially Native Hawaiians. The deep divide between rich and poor is intensified by corporate greed and systemic inequities. For our communities to heal, we need true healthcare at the community level, addressing social ills rooted in wellness and prevention. Sick care is in the hospitals. Health care is in the community.
Our Pu’uhonua Wellness Centers in East and West Hawai`i are spaces where justice-involved individuals can access re-entry recovery housing and supportive services. In all our work, we strive to reconnect individuals to their sense of self and the community and to create room to reflect on what it means to be e ho`okanaka—” person of worth.” We do not become people of worth; we already are.
As we look toward the future, we’re fortunate to work alongside organizations, community partners, and community members who desire to make a difference. It’s not the work of one person; it’s about organizing our collective energy and direction for a meaningful impact. Through our consortium, we’re building a more supportive future where every member of our community has the opportunity to embrace their worth and purpose.
*”Clean and sober housing” refers to housing that is intended to provide a stable, independent environment of alcohol- and drug-free living conditions to sustain recovery and that is shared by unrelated adult persons who are recovering from substance abuse as described in §11-178-7. (hawaii.gov)
Lester “Les” Alfred Estrella, born and raised in Hilo, has four children and six grandchildren. After studying auto mechanics and machine technology, he spent 20 years in Oahu’s automotive industry before returning to Hilo in 1999 to pursue social services. With over two decades of experience at the intersection of homelessness and the criminal justice system, Les is a recognized leader in reentry, restorative housing, and community reintegration strategies.
As Executive Committee Chair of the Hawai’i Island Going Home Consortium and founder of Going Home Hawai`i (GHH), Les is committed to supporting justice-involved individuals and those impacted by substance misuse, mental illness, and homelessness. His lived experience enriches his approach to building effective reentry programs and supportive housing systems.
Pheng Seng of Unrivaled
As a returned citizen, I work to improve my community and the people around me. Growing up, the lack of resources and challenging environment contributed to many community members, including myself, getting caught in the school-to-prison-to-deportation pipeline. With a better and more personal understanding of these issues, I’m driven to make a positive impact.
I organize back-to-school giveaways, food drives, block cleanups, and voting initiatives to support our community. I was also the former president of the Southeast Asian Vendors Association of FDR Park, where we came together to build up local businesses and create opportunities.
My screen printing shop, Unrivaled, in South Philadelphia is the first Cambodian-American-owned unionized shop in the area. We hire returning citizens and other community members who have difficulty finding work due to their histories. This shop is where people caught up in the system can find a job and start rebuilding. We help put money in their pockets and feed their families. Sometimes, it’s rough for the shop, too; we don’t get certain jobs because of our histories. It can be frustrating, but we continue to move forward.
Our community still lacks education and resources, affecting people from many backgrounds. We’re Cambodian, Lao, Vietnamese, Chinese, Nepalese, and African American. Most of us grew up in the same neighborhoods, went to the same schools, and, unfortunately, got caught up in the same system. When people think of our backgrounds, they often assume the worst, but we’re not criminals. We’re just people trying to turn things around. Even now, I still feel like I’m being judged in certain contexts, and it’s a reminder of the barriers we’re up against. I want to vote and fully participate in civic engagement, but my status prevents me from doing so. Still, I help organize voting efforts because it’s important.
To me, unleashing your greatest giving potential means having the courage to speak my truth despite the fear and limitations I face. The threat of deportation hangs over my head, which makes me careful about how I share my story. I don’t want to offend anyone, but speaking up and advocating for change can make people uncomfortable. However, we must create better resources and future opportunities for our youth.
When people ask how they can support me, I’m often unsure how to answer. I’m just grateful to be outside, free, and surrounded by great people. But if I could ask for one thing, it would be support to help build economic opportunities in our community. I aim to strengthen our resilience and show folks that change is possible. I hope to receive a presidential pardon so I can reclaim my citizenship, vote, and further my education. I’d like to represent my community in a city or government role, where I can be at the table where decisions are made. This would allow me to bring valuable resources and information back to our community, helping to break the cycle that holds so many of us back. I want to be a positive example of how a person impacted by the system can change their life and make a difference.
Pheng Seng, a Cambodian American in South Philadelphia, arrived in the U.S. at the age of 5 months. Despite facing barriers due to having a record, he co-founded Unrivaled, a custom screen printing business, during the pandemic. With support from the city of Philadelphia, Seng embraced entrepreneurship and was the former president of the Vendors Association of FDR Park. In 2022, he also received the Mayor’s Philly Hero Award for his advocacy of the Khmer community.
Through his work, Seng actively gives back to his community. His goal is to empower the community and leave a foundation of opportunity for future generations, even as he faces potential deportation.