HCAP Weekly November 9, 2015

In this week’s issue:

AmeriCorps VISTA Celebrates 50th Anniversary
The Kupuna Independent Life Series Gives Back to the Community
Waiahole STEM Goes from Turbo Charged to Turbo Inspired!
St. Louis High School Key Club Students Volunteer with Head Start Children
Head Start Home Base Children Visit Head Start Classroom
HCAP to Participate in #GivingTuesday

AmeriCorps VISTA Celebrates 50th Anniversary

HCAP’s AmeriCorps VISTA members Terah and Marie, Hā Initiative: Creative Stem After-School Program Manager Dr. Kimberly Stone, and Planning, Program Development and Communications Specialist Tehani Diaz attended the AmeriCorps VISTA 50th Anniversary Event held at the Neil Blaisdell Center on November 12, 2015. The event was held to celebrate the nearly 200,000 AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) members who have served in communities across the nation since the program began in 1965. Various AmeriCorps members, sponsored programs, Corporation for National Community Service (CNCS) Pacific Area Manager Amy Dailey, and community members, including US Senator Mazie Hirono and State Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland all came together in recognition of service. Before the ceremony, each AmeriCorps VISTA member had the opportunity showcase their display boards, which highlighted their work and accomplishments to attendees. The ceremony highlighted AmeriCorps VISTAs Past, Present, and Future. There were many inspirational speeches given and the presentation of the Governor’s Proclamation and the Mayor’s Proclamation both of which declared November 12th, AmeriCorps VISTA Day.

Following the ceremony, Terah and Marie participated as note-takers for Aloha United Way’s Community Solutions Forum. The Community Solutions Forum’s purpose was to bring together leaders from our community to help discuss where issues exist, and where opportunities to support can be developed. Discussion groups were designated based on generational groups (early childhood, youth, college and career, seniors). The notes that the AmeriCorps VISTAs took will be taken and combined with the other ideas from the forum and developed into a report that will be shared with the community.

The Honolulu Community Action Program, Inc. would like to congratulate the AmeriCorps Program for reaching its 50th anniversary milestone. HCAP AmeriCorps VISTAs would also like to thank CNCS for giving them the opportunity to share their stories of national and community service!

The Kupuna Independent Life Series Gives Back to the Community

For the past two years, the Kupuna Independent Life Series has focused on providing opportunities for seniors (kupuna) along the Leeward Coast to “age in place” and continue to lead healthy, productive lives. The workshops for this fall series focused on senior health and support. But beyond the workshops, the Kupuna Independent Life Series keeps seniors engaged in the community by planning community service projects. This November will be filled with events focused on giving back to the community. In the month of November, kupuna and HPU nursing students will gather at Pokai Bay for a round of exercise and then provide a BBQ meal to the park’s homeless residents. Later in the month they will gather at Pu’uwai O’Makaha Health Services, a nursing home for the physically disabled, to perform crafts and sing holiday songs. The day after Thanksgiving, kupuna and HPU nursing students will assist with an after-Thanksgiving meal for the homeless in the Waianae Boat Harbor.

Waiahole STEM Goes from Turbo Charged to Turbo Inspired!

After studying biometrics for the FIRST LEGO League Robotics competition, the Waiahole STEM Exploration Center decided to look into a more methodical creature of agriculture. Snails are often thought of as “lazy” creatures, but the havoc they wreck on gardening can be catastrophic! Also, participants learned of various types of snails – including cannibalistic snails! While studying how the snails seek and destroy plants, participants couldn’t help but remember recent cinema inspiration from the movie “Turbo” whose main character is a lightning-fast snail; thus – let the “Snail Sprint” begin! Participants tried multiple methods to make sure they had a “speedy snail” rather than a sluggish one. Despite the slime, the participants found themselves drawn to the gentleness of the snail. Even though racing was the intent, the participants just enjoyed seeing snail socializing.

As the month progresses, the Waiahole STEM Exploration Center will continue on their journey through biometrics and environmental hazards and safeguards. This theme will also help with the upcoming Junior FIRST LEGO League competition concerning Waste.

St. Louis High School Key Club Students Volunteer with Head Start Children

On November 10, 2015 the Leahi District Service Center organized a community volunteer day for the St. Louis High School’s Kiwanis (Key) Club and Palolo Elementary School’s Head Start children. The Key Club students had a great time playing ball and outdoor games with the children. They also participated and assisted with building towers and structures using blocks, which encouraged teamwork and fun interactions. This was a great opportunity to engage and build a stronger connection between the high school students and Head Start. Thank you to all of the Key Club students for your time and generosity!

Head Start Home Base Children Visit Head Start Classroom

In addition to providing rich learning experiences in the home, the HCAP Head Start Home Base Program provides opportunities for children to engage in a classroom and school routine setting. Home Base children and their parents had the opportunity to experience and explore the different learning centers in the Salt Lake and Halawa Head Start classrooms. Some of those learning centers included blocks, dramatic play, science, art, library, and math. All of the centers help children to develop and strengthen their language-literacy, math, social, and cognitive skills.

HCAP to Participate in #GivingTuesday

From now until December 1, 2015, HCAP will be holding its annual #GivingTuesday campaign to celebrate generosity throughout the giving season. As a relatively new calendar day dedicated to giving, #GivingTuesday creates a community that encourages others to give more, give smarter, and to celebrate the spirit of contribution. And on a more personal level here in the islands, #GivingTuesday embodies the spirit of Aloha. It’s a day that reminds us that we are an ohana and we must all work together to make positive change happen.

#GivingTuesday is on December 1, 2015. Please consider supporting HCAP on this day of giving. Click here to donate to HCAP!