HCAP Weekly July 28, 2014

In this week’s issue:

HCAP Ohana Supports CSBG at the State Capitol
Kumuhonua Staff Joins First Lady Michelle Obama at Conference on Ending Homelessness
HCAP Head Start Prepares for New School Year
Welcome to our newest staff member!

HCAP Ohana Supports CSBG at the State Capitol

On Friday, August 1, HCAP management, staff and clients attended the House Committee on Labor & Public Employment and Senate Committee on Judiciary and Labor joint informational briefing regarding the Hawaii Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) State Plan for federal fiscal year 2015.

Denise Pierson, Program and Evaluation Administrator, of the Hawaii State Office of Community Services got the briefing underway by providing the legislators with a background of CSBG and a summary of the Hawaii CSBG State Plan details and revisions.

Next, the Executive Directors of the Hawaii Community Action Agencies (CAA) spoke in support of the Hawaii CSBG State Plan and conveyed how the CSBG funds are the glue that allows the CAAs to provide such a wide range of services in their respective communities.

After the Executive Directors provided their comments, HCAP clients and members of the HCAP Head Start Policy Council and HCAP District Advisory Council provided testimony on behalf of the programs and services they have received from HCAP. All of the testimony was very powerful and moving, and strongly conveyed the impact of community action. Robert Piper, HCAP Executive Director, said that these examples are representative of all of the CAAs in the State, and they are made possible by CSBG funding.

Kumuhonua Staff Joins First Lady Michelle Obama at Conference on Ending Homelessness

Kumuhonua Transitional Living Center Program Manager Davilyn Chang and Program Specialist Rado Melchor were in Washington D.C. attending the 2014 National Conference on Ending Homelessness from July 29 to July 31. This annual conference offered a wide array of workshops, speakers and resources covering all aspects of the issues of homelessness.

One of the highlights of the event was a special keynote address by the First Lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama, in which she called for an end to veteran homelessness.

This conference will help staff keep abreast of the information and resources needed to continue providing quality services to the residents of the Kumuhonua Transitional Living Center, and also be able to share with community partners in order to combat homelessness in our community.

HCAP Head Start Prepares for New School Year

HCAP Head Start held their annual In-Service training on Friday, August 1 at Ala Moana Hotel Hibiscus Ballroom. Lynn Cabato, Director of Head Start, opened the day’s events by welcoming the staff back from summer break and sharing updates on the upcoming school year.

Presenter Elizbeth “Ellie” Terell from Quantum Learning presented on Essentials of Effective Teaching, Design for Learning, Eight Keys of Excellence, and Classroom Culture and Management.

HCAP Head Start staff actively engaged in these sessions to build resources and strategies to support individual roles.

In the meantime, students and parents were attending orientation to get ready for the new school year. The students reconnected with familiar faces and explored changes in the classroom. During the orientation, children engaged in a variety of activities, including circle time, song and finger play, center play, outdoor play, and story time.

We want to wish all HCAP Head Start teachers, parents and students a great school year.

Welcome to our newest staff member!

Samuel Bess – Resident Aide