HCAP WEEKLY February 22, 2021

HCAP Programs Help Kūpuna Maintain Her Independent Lifestyle

Leilani was a very active kūpuna. Before the pandemic, she worked full-time at McDonald’s where she greeted customers, mainly kūpuna like herself in the morning and she loved her job.  But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Leilani was furloughed like so many others.  Being part of a vulnerable population, Leilani complied with the state mandates and sheltered-in-place.  But with the huge cut in wages and her inability to find another job, Leilani was not able to keep up with her electric bills. Leilani contacted HCAP’s Central District Service Center and applied for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program’s Emergency Crisis Intervention Program. Leilani felt defeated because for the first time in her life she had to ask for help.  Leilani always lived independently and worked to support herself.  But our staff assured her that many in our community are in dire need of help in these unprecedented times. 

With the help of HCAP, Leilani was able to keep her electric services and continue to search for a solution to her situation. Eventually Leilani was able to go back to work at McDonalds, but she was only able to work part-time and she missed the kupuna who would come for coffee in the morning.  Working only part-time was not enough to pay her bills, so Leilani began looking for additional work. It was hard for Leilani to find work due to her age, but more importantly finding work that would keep her safe and fit in her McDonalds work schedule.  Eventually Leilani was able to find part-time work at Walgreens with hours that fit her schedule.  Leilani is so happy to finally be working somewhat full-time again. She also recently received food assistance from HCAP’s new Kokua Food Assistance Program to provide her with healthy food resources during this difficult time. Leilani shared that she would not have been able to continue living independently without all the support she received. 

Our HCAP staff are dedicated to providing our kūpuna with support and resources during this difficult time. If you are in need of assistance, please contact your nearest HCAP District Service Center: https://www.hcapweb.org/our-locations/

October-December Quarterly Newsletter

We’re excited to share the October – December 2020 issue of Ku`i Na Lono: Spread the News. Featuring these stories and more:

• HCAP Launches Hale Kākou and Kokua Food Assistance Programs in Response to COVID-19
• Former Kumuhonua Clients are Thriving After Finding Permanent Housing
• Kupuna Independent Life Series Continues During COVID-19 with Drive-by Classroom

Download the October – December 2020 Quarterly here.

View past Quarterly Newsletters Here.

Nā Lima Hana Builds Partnerships with Local Employers

One of the goals of HCAP’s Nā Lima Hana Employment Core Service (ECS) Program is to partner with local companies and employers in a variety of fields. Here are three potential employers that our ECS staff met with in the past several weeks.

The first potential partner our ECS staff met with was Wilson Care Group, a private health care agency which provides home health care services and senior living facilities. Through this partnership, qualifying ECS clients could be referred to Wilson Care Group home for employment opportunities. Many of our ECS clients are interested in the medical field and have completed their Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) programs.  Therefore, this partnership would present a great opportunity for both parties! Our ECS staff were very excited to speak with the staff at Wilson Care Group and hope that this partnership will result in successful client referrals to their agency.

After speaking with Wilson Care Group, our ECS staff met with Kahu Malama Nurses Inc., a staffing agency that specializes in healthcare proffesionals and offers many employment opportunities for individuals interested in the medical field. Partnering with Kahu Malama Nurses Inc. can provide opportunities for ECS clients to finish their clinical hours and secure their first job in the medical field. The meeting was a great introduction to both parties and our staff are hopeful that this will be another great opportunity for our ECS clients interested in becoming medical professionals.

Lastly, our ECS staff met with Staffing Solutions of Hawaii to discuss their administrative employment opportunities. Through this discussion, our ECS staff learned that in addition to being a staffing agency, Staffing Solutions of Hawaii also has many exciting opportunities for entry-level administrative positions, which include medical benefits and weekly paychecks. ECS is always interested in providing our clients with a variety of employment tracks in different fields, and this was a great opportunity for those interested in administrative work.

Our staff are thankful to have met with these great, local employers and are hopeful that these partnerships will be beneficial for both our clients and the hiring agencies! Are you or someone you know want help in obtaining employment? Email NaLimaHana@hcapweb.org or visit our website for more information.

Project Ideas to Keep Keiki Engaged and Learning at Home!

Running out of ideas of how to keep your keiki engaged while learning at home? Don’t worry, our HCAP Head Start Program is here to help! Here are some fun, educational project ideas our HCAP Head Start keiki have engaged in this week, all of which are easy to do from home!

This Plant has an Eggplant!

Mariah from Pohakea I, is learning about plants that produce vegetables. In order to teach Mariah about growing plants, her family began a little at-home garden. Over the past few months, Mariah tended to her seeds, which have now grown into beautiful vegetables! “This plant has an eggplant!” Mariah said to her family, which demonstrated her knowledge of living things. She also learned that the eggplant needs sunshine, water and plant food to grow. We can’t wait to see what other delicious vegetables you grow Mariah!

A Nature Collage

Johnna from Keiki Country 1, created a nature collage using leaves!  This activity began with Johnna and her mom taking a nature walk outside and collecting leaves. During the nature walk, Johnna engaged in conversation by describing the different characteristics of the leaves by shape, color, and size. Once at home, Johnna and her mom worked together to create a picture collage using the leaves they gathered. Together they  created a beautiful collage of the ocean! What an awesome project Johnna!

A Tornado in a Jar!

Kennedy from Halawa, mixed water with food coloring, vinegar, and dish soap to create a tornado in a jar!  She then used both of her hands to swirl the jar in a circular motion in order to create a vortex. Kennedy was able to make predictions and observations during this activity. When she stopped rotating the jar she was able to see and understand the movements which create tornadoes! This was a fun activity, all of which was possible using basic home and school materials. Nice work Kennedy!