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AWARDS

JANUARY 2025

Ho'owaiwai Award

This award is presented by Ekolu Mea Nui to Adult Friends for Youth,

President & CEO, Mrs. Deborah Spencer-Chun.

For her dedication to transforming carceral systems and working tirelessly to end intergenerational incarceration.

AUGUST 2022

National Gang Crime Research Center

Adult Friends for Youth is a Recipient of the Frederic Milton Thrasher Award for the year 2022 for being an Exemplary Program. This award was established by the Journal of Gang Research in 1992 to honor and recognize outstanding scholarship, leadership, and service by individuals and programs in dealing with publice safety issues like that posed by gangs.

The NRGC Spirit Award was awarded to Mrs. Deborah Spencer-Chun & Adult Friends for Youth. Recognized for significant service directed at helping to set higher standards for Gang Prevention, Gang Intervention, and Gang Counseling Programs.

OCTOBER 2021

Hawaii's Friends of Restorative Justice

Mahalo Nui to Hawai'i Friends of Restorative Justice for awarding AFY's Malakai 'MO' Maumalanga with the Posthumous award for Restorative Work & Living. 

Special Thanks to Ms. Lorenn Walker & Mr. Ian Crabbe,

Board Member of HFRJ for presenting the award.

MAY 2019

Honolulu Police Department
City and County of Honolulu

2019 Outstanding Citizenship Award, awarded to

Mrs. Deborah Spencer-Chun

with sincere appreciation and recognition of dedicated service to the 

Honolulu Police Department and the community.

JUNE 2015

"How I start my day: By thinking about yesterday and using it as a tool to make today better for my clients. Everything in life is a process, and through this process I hope that I can facilitate change."

Forty under 40:
Malakai "MO" Maumalanga

MARCH 2015

20 for the Next 20:
Deborah Spencer-Chun

"We don't have a termination phase so our kids come back at any time", she says. "It's so exciting that we have the kind of relationship with our students that they always call us and want to visit and keep us updated. I'm really blessed to have this job... I see this as a purpose in life for me."

2005

The Psychologically 
Healthy Workplace

"A special Po'okela Award was given in 2006 to Adult Friends for Youth, in recognition of workplace excellence and dedicated service to youth in Hawaii."

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