For 38 years, Lisa has been involved in the recovery and reintegration process for those socially, economically, and physically marginalized. Relocating to Maui resident 22 years ago, she focused on the conditions of those managing mentally illness, addiction, with disabilities and living unhoused. With a spectrum of experience from working in New York City, Washington DC, New Jersey, and North Carolina she has navigated boardrooms, treatment facilities and on the front lines. She translates experiences and needs for those who lack the language and voice to drive their own outcomes by working and volunteering across the country and internationally.
These experiences inspired her to create the non-profit Share Your Mana (SYM) in 2017. The mission intertwines the housed and the unhoused community through speaking engagements and unique projects. The creation of the first of its kind Advocacy Committee with lived experience, SYM works to combat persistent myths with accurate, evidence-based education. This boots on the ground approach gives her a unique understanding of the extreme struggles those marginalized face daily.
This innovative advocacy mission helped drive the successful legal challenge for the ACLU, HI in December 2023 at the Hawai`i Supreme Court identifying civil rights violations. She is the coordinator for the women’s branch of Ka Ipu Ha`a, a weekly women’s mentoring group for those incarcerated in Maui County Correctional System. These complex projects restore dignity and respect to the population suffering from untreated mental illness, addiction and experiencing poverty.
A student at Upaya Institute and Zen Center studying chaplaincy and a bold champion of social innovation, her “can do” attitude comes from decades of listening and walking in others slippah’s to bring an unfiltered authenticity to each experience. Her expertise provides insights often overlooked and unrecorded.
Having received the 2009 Maui United States Tennis Association Community Service Award for creating opportunities for those with disabilities, she has also been recognized as an innovator and has received numerous invitations to participate in diverse community educational panels. Her participation with Maui Homeless Alliance, the Maui Disability Alliance, an appointed Hawai`i Public Housing Authority Board member, she embodies the belief that all individuals can thrive in a safe and sanitary living conditions.
Ms. Darcy received her BA in Psychology and Sociology from Rutgers University with a Certificate in Criminology. She has published numerous local articles, participates in public service media and education, and been featured in documentaries including West 47th Street, a film which explores the harsh circumstances of those living with serious mental illness. As the Employment Director at Fountain House in New York City she presented at International Conferences. Currently serving a three-year term on the Maui County Commission for Healing Solutions, her desire to integrate spiritual and evidence-based practices ensures every community member receives dignity, respect, and enjoyment.