HCAP WEEKLY March 23, 2026

HCAP Board and Staff Attend the 2026 NCAF Conference

HCAP Executive Assistant James “JoJo” Upega, HCAP board members William Shiroma and Terrence Aratani, and Keapo Bissen of SR Partners LLC (representing Maui Economic Opportunity) attended the 2026 National Community Action Foundation (NCAF) Conference in Washington, D.C. last week.

During the visit, they met with Representative Jill Tokuda, along with staff from the offices of Senator Mazie Hirono, Senator Brian Schatz, and Representative Ed Case. The team expressed appreciation for the U.S. Congress members’ continued support of Community Action and reinforced the importance of sustained federal investment for Hawaiʻi’s communities.

Conference sessions were informative, featuring speakers from Capitol Hill, including Bernie Sanders. A key message emphasized the importance of ongoing engagement with congressional leaders to advocate for Community Action nationwide.

A highlight of the trip was the NCAF Hall of Fame ceremony, where Hawaiʻi leaders Gladys C. Baisa and George Yokoyama were inducted into the 2026 class.

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Kumuhonua Couple Quickly Turn Lives Around with Permanent Housing

Kumuhonua Transitional Living Center (KTLC) would like to congratulate program participants, Phyllis and Shaena, who have recently secured permanent housing. Both Phyllis and Shaena started their journey in November of 2025. Since then, the two have been working hard to stay on track toward self-sufficiency by attending all their meetings with their Case Manager, Carolyn, while working full-time jobs.

Despite the trials the couple faced in the past seven months of homelessness, they both never gave up. Given their dedication and optimism, Case Manager, Carolyn, is confident that they will be successful. While at Kumuhonua, the two were able to keep up with their program fees, save money, purchase two vehicles, and have enough saved for their first month’s rent and a deposit. Phyllis and Shaena shared that they are very excited to finally be able to have their own place to call home. They expressed that this is one of the greatest accomplishments they have conquered together and felt that their prayers have been answered.

Carolyn and the staff at Kumuhonua are all so proud of the hard work that was put into making this a successful and positive transition for both Phyllis and Shaena and wish them the best of luck in this new chapter in their lives.

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Building Robotic Hydraulic Hands at Central STEM

This week at Hā Initiative’s Central STEM Exploration Center, the program’s young engineers explored robotics and engineering by assembling Mega Cyborg Hands. Students were excited to open the kits and discover all the different pieces that would eventually come together to create a working robotic hand. Before building, the class talked about how the human hand works and how engineers design machines that mimic the movements of the body. Students learned that fingers move when muscles pull on tendons and that the cyborg hand uses a similar idea, but instead of muscles, it uses water and hydraulic tubes to create movement.

Working with their teacher, students carefully assembled the cyborg hands step by step. They connected the tubes, filled the syringes with water, and made sure there were no air bubbles so the hydraulic system would work properly. Once everything was connected, the students were amazed to see the fingers move when they pushed the syringes. It was a great moment of discovery as they realized they had built a functioning robotic device with their own hands.

The activity helped students understand real-world applications of hydraulics and robotics. The class talked about how similar technology is used in construction equipment, airplane systems, and even prosthetic hands that help people regain movement. It was an incredible day of creativity, teamwork, and hands-on science. The class showed that when curiosity and engineering come together, amazing things can happen. The STEM teachers are excited to see what the young Hā Initiative innovators will build next week.

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