HCAP Weekly February 17, 2020

Kumuhonua Resident Secures Permanent Housing with the help of Rapid Re-housing Program
Nā Lima Hana Participant Obtains Employment in Retail
WAP Participant Obtains 73% Savings on Electric Bill
STEM Students Investigate Solids and Liquids Through Hands-On Experiments
Aiea I and II Head Start Children Participate in Aiea Elementary Clean-Up

Kumuhonua Resident Secures Permanent Housing with the help of Rapid Re-housing Program

Kent was houseless but still working until a serious illness left him hospitalized. With his health deteriorating, doctors told Kent that they would not release him from the hospital unless he had a place to stay. Hospital case managers quickly worked with the Institute for Human Services (IHS) to get Kent into a shelter.

In May 2018, after staying at the IHS Sumner Men’s Shelter, Kent moved into HCAP’s Kumuhonua Transitional Living Center. During his stay at Kumuhonua, Kent actively worked with his case manager and housing specialist to secure permanent housing. With assistance from HCAP’s Rapid Re-housing Program, Kent was able to obtain permanent subsidized housing through Mark Development, Inc. on February 10th. Kumuhonua staff congratulates Kent for accomplishing his housing goals and wishes him well.

Nā Lima Hana Participant Obtains Employment in Retail

Through a partnership with HCAP’s Leahi District Service Center and the Salvation Army Family Treatment Services (FTS) program, Chelsey was able to enroll in the Nā Lima Hana Employment Core Services (ECS) Program.

Chelsey was among the first ECS participants from the FTS facility. Upon enrollment, Chelsey received a variety of services, including financial literacy education, job readiness training, resume development, and interview coaching. Together, Chelsey and Leahi District Service Center staff established her career interests, short-term, and long-term goals as well.

Chelsey, who has previous experience in retail and customer service, quickly secured a part-time job at Target after completing Job Readiness Training. With ECS funds, Leahi District Service Center staff supplied Chelsey with basic work materials and awarded her a gift card for finding employment. Chelsey is grateful for the services HCAP has provided and will continue to utilize HCAP’s resources in the future. The Leahi District Service Center will continue to assist Chelsey and looks forward to her accomplishing even more in the near future.

WAP Participant Obtains 73% Savings on Electric Bill

Tom, who has utilized the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program through the Leeward District Service Center for the past few years, heard about HCAP’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) from a family member. Because Tom is a homeowner, he decided to apply for the WAP program.

He completed the WAP intake process and was able to receive WAP services. Tom received LED light bulbs, new handheld shower heads, a smart power strip, smoke alarms, and an 80-gallon solar water heater. To date, he has had a 73% savings on his electric bill. Tom is very thankful for all the devices that were installed in his home to help save on the family’s electric bill. Thank you to Alternate Energy for installing the solar water heater.

STEM Students Investigate Solids and Liquids Through Hands-On Experiments

In the past few weeks, students at the Hā Intitiative: Creative STEM After School Program, a 21st Century Community Learning Center, have been conducting many experiments relating to the FOSS Solids and Liquids Module. The students discovered that even though we interact with solids and liquids every day, there are many things to learn if we look closely and get creative.

Classes at the five STEM Exploration Centers had a lot of fun with the experiments. They built a 9-layer tower of liquids to test density. They also brought ice water to -10 degrees Celsius by adding salt and then used it to make ice cream from scratch!

The students at several STEM Exploration Centers also explored the differences between acids, bases, and salts. The students at the Leeward STEM Exploration Center and the Kalihi STEM Exploration Center did pH testing, while their counterparts at Central STEM Exploration Center used vinegar to dissolve the shell of an egg. Density, acidity, solubility, viscosity, hydraulics, and phase changes: all are fair game in our hands-on lessons.

Aiea I and II Head Start Children Participate in Aiea Elementary Clean-Up

Aiea I and II Head Start recently held a campus-wide clean-up at Aiea Elementary School with the children and their parents. The children of Aiea I and II Head Start have been learning about ways to keep our community clean and the importance of caring for our environment. Everyone enjoyed spending time together and taking part in the community event. Aiea I and II Head Start staff would like to thank everyone who participated in the clean-up.