HCAP WEEKLY June 27, 2022

Windward Client Hired at Animal Hospital
Lei Making at Hā Initiative Family Day
Head Start Students Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!


Windward Client Hired at Animal Hospital

Crystal’s story is one of hope and inspiration. When Crystal first contacted HCAP’s Windward District Service Center, she was very transparent about her situation. Having recently been released from prison, Crystal was determined to make positive changes in her life with specific goals to get back on track and start anew – despite a felony record. She wanted to find a job, secure a safe place to live, and reunite with her family. But she needed help with transportation, clothes, and employment services.

A Community Service Specialist at the Windward District Service Center assessed Crystal’s needs and helped her create an Individual Service Plan to complete job-readiness training and find employment. Dress for Success Honolulu provided her with clothes, shoes, and other essentials to kickstart her employment search. Crystal hit the ground running and submitted her application to various employers. After her very first interview, a local pet hospital hired her on the spot! She was very excited and full of hope; she just needed a little extra help to continue on her path. The Nā Lima Hana Employment Core Service program and staff were able to supply Crystal with her initial work attire and a HOLO card bus pass.

Her journey is far from over but equipped with some helpful resources, her motivation and faith will enable her to gain self-sufficiency.

Click Here for more information about Nā Lima Hana Employment Core Services.


Lei Making at Hā Initiative Family Day

The Hā Initiative: Creative STEM After-School Program hosted a Family Day event at HCAP’s Leeward District Service Center on Saturday, June 25th. Family events are a great way to get parents, siblings, cousins, and friends of STEM students involved in their classroom activities. In correlation with the current module, Life of Plants: Trees and Flowers, students made homemade leis with fresh orchid flowers with their peers and families. Students got to choose between white or purple orchid heads and learned how to string flowers with a lei needle, eventually threading them into a wearable lei.

In addition to making lei, students could participate in computer lab time, a volleyball game, chess matches, and a water balloon competition. Family Day encourages the Hā Initiative students to learn while having fun and allows the students to spend time together in person during summer break. Working with fresh flowers helped students apply the content they have been learning virtually, visit a different STEM classroom in Waiʻanae, and enjoy some friendly competitions.

Click Here for more information about Hā Initiative: Creative STEM After-School Program.


Head Start Students Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!

The keiki at Waiau Pre Plus are studying recyclables and the importance of recycling. The students enjoyed painting and had fun using boxes to create recycling bins to sort out plastic, aluminum, and paper. The keiki are also learning about other items we can recycle. Parents have noticed that this study has brought their children an increased awareness of recycling – as their keiki are excited to bring their recyclables to place in their homemade classroom bins.

HCAP Head Start classroom teachers noticed that their students are eager to sort and count the different recyclables they bring to school daily. The students have also been creating various recycled art projects. Some of these creative projects include an ocean and sensory bottles made out of recycled materials. While creating the sensory bottles, the keiki noticed a familiar recycle symbol and said, “Look! That’s the same on our recycle bin!”

HCAP Head Start & Early Head Start applications for the 2022-2023 school year are open now! Click Here for more information and how to apply.