HCAP WEEKLY November 17, 2025

Marine Corps Veteran Steers a New Journey to Self-Reliance

Caleb came to HCAP’s Central District Service Center after being referred to the organization from Hoapili Trucking dba Professional Driving Academy for assistance with getting into the program. 

Central staff worked with Caleb on his intake into the Nā Lima Hana Employment Core Services Program (ECS). Through the process, they learned about his previous job history and his goals for the future. Caleb is a Veteran who served in the United States Marine Corps, and worked four years as a diesel mechanic. After leaving the Marine Corps, Caleb enrolled at Leeward Community College and completed his Associates degree. He always had an interest in becoming a semi-truck driver and decided to follow his passion once he graduated college.

He was enrolled into the ECS program where he worked with staff to apply for tuition assistance and successfully completed Job Readiness Training which included career goals planning, resume building, and many more employment preparation training.

His primary goal after completing his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) program at Hoapili Trucking was to find sustainable work that he finds enjoyable. His long-term goal is to eventually start his own trucking company once he acquires ample experience and knowledge in this field. Caleb’s goal for his future company is to help other Veterans that need work and former incarcerated individuals that are able to work in the trucking industry. 

Caleb successfully received his CDL license and is now employed at Aiwohi Trucking Inc. as a driver. Caleb enjoys his new job and is excited about his future. HCAP’s Central staff and ECS program wishes Caleb the best in all his future endeavors and wishes him continued success as he starts a new chapter in his life. 

Click here to learn more about Nā Lima Hana.

STEM Students Design Cities During Engineering

This month at Hā Initiative’s Honolulu STEM Exploration Center, students are focusing on engineering and the engineering design process. Lessons on civil engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, and electrical engineering will be taught in the classes throughout November. The first week was focused around civil engineers; the design and construction of infrastructure, bridges, tunnels, dams, and buildings.

Students were tasked with building a bridge that could withstand a maximum load. Within their mixed-grade table groups, they needed to design and build a bridge out of tape and index cards. Most groups were able to easily build a bridge that would hold up 30 1-gram pennies across a 6-inch gap. 

The class then revisited the assignment, adding in string and pipe cleaners to represent wires and cables. The groups were able to evaluate what worked and what didn’t with their first bridge and design a second, stronger bridge. Civil engineers must take into account constraints such as materials and construction time, both of which added additional challenges. The teams worked very well together, with the older students taking the younger students’ ideas into consideration and synthesizing them with what they had learned about bridges in class.

Students were then tasked with designing cities and ensuring the buildings had running water and electricity. Most students were able to work together to create beautiful cities, but connecting them to utilities was much more challenging than many of them initially expected.

The class was able to demonstrate their creativity, evaluation, and teamwork skills while applying basic lessons in physics and construction. This kind of hands-on learning will help them succeed in Hawai’i and the world as a whole.

Click here to learn more about Hā Initiative.

HCAP Head Start Staff Attend Poverty Simulation Workshop

Head Start & Early Head Start staff participated in a Poverty Simulation Workshop titled “Experience Poverty: The Challenges and Choices” hosted by Ka Wahi Kaiaulu of the Waianae Coast Community Mental Health Center. The interactive experience provided a deeper level of understanding of the choices and challenges that families that are living in or near poverty, may face. Participants respectfully role played as families and service providers when presented with scenarios highlighting limited resources, a lack of time, and unexpected setbacks. Activities included budgeting under pressure, seeking assistance, and making difficult choices between necessities like food, housing, and transportation.

Staff reflected upon the experience and shared that even walking carried a cost, the cost of time. They also expressed that families needing child care, passes to get to services, and transportation were often faced with financial instability and food insecurity as these and many other unanticipated life disruptions led to hunger, stress, and children feeling pressure to help their parents out financially.

This workshop reinforced the importance of empathy, support and community along with ensuring HCAP’s Head Start program continues to meet families where they are at and provide continued support, hope and encouragement. The workshop also perpetuated the importance of providers in understanding the systems they work in, the sometimes invisible challenges families may face to promote understanding and maintaining a sense of community and partnership.

Click here to learn more about Head Start.