HCAP Weekly October 19, 2015

In this week’s issue:

HCAP Holds Annual Board of Directors Installation Dinner
Youth Services Students Lend a Hand at the Paepae o He`eia Fishpond!
Single Mother Thanks Weatherization Assistance Program for New Water Heater
Kumuhonua Resident Helped to Foster Hope and Inspiration
Honolulu Fire Department Teaches Head Start Children How to Stop, Drop, and Roll!
HCAP’s Internal Program Audit Team Ensures Completeness and Accuracy

HCAP Holds Annual Board of Directors Installation Dinner

On Thursday, October 22, 2015, HCAP held its annual Board of Directors Installation Dinner. Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland, Council Chair Ernie Martin, and Gary Nakata, Director of the Department of Community Services of the City and County of Honolulu were in attendance. Council Chair Martin shared a few words with the group, expressing his support for HCAP and the impact the organization has on the community. HCAP’s Chairman of the Board, Representative Isaac W. Choy and Vice Chair, Eddie Mersereau were unable to attend the event. HCAP Executive Director, Robert N.E. Piper thanked both men for their service to HCAP and the community.

In celebration of HCAP’s 50th Anniversary, HCAP shared a special segment titled, “HCAP: Helping People, Changing Lives.” HCAP clients and staff opened their hearts and shared their personal challenges and how HCAP helped them to achieve their dreams. We heard stories from Patti Beatty of the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), Nanette Alvarez of Kumuhonua Transitional Living Center, Lisa Leafa-Tavui of Head Start, and Geoffrey Labombard of Youth Services.

Everyone left the event feeling uplifted and inspired to continue working hard to improve our community.

Youth Services Students Lend a Hand at the Paepae o He`eia Fishpond!

Not a single shoe was spared. Mud and sludge seeped into soles like a stream of water. In a matter of seconds, everyone’s socks and shoes were drenched in brown slime. Rain or shine, mud or slime the Youth Services students were ready to help out at the Paepae o He`eia Fishpond in He`eia Uli, Koolaupoko, Oahu.

Last week, Youth Services C-Base students were fortunate to partner with employees from Starbucks in honor of Make a Difference Day. The volunteer Project was held at Paepae o He`eia Fishpond, a beautiful ancient Hawaiian fishpond in need of help with restoration and rehabilitation. Despite ominous weather, HCAP Youth Services students and Starbucks staff joined hands for a Hawaiian Blessing before grabbing their gloves for a morning of hard work, but not before having a cup of Starbucks coffee to go.

The Youth Services students performed many tasks at the Paepae o He`eia Fishpond. These tasks included moving rocks, filling buckets, cutting and pulling out invasive mangrove, and picking up trash. Student used loppers to cut down the tall mangrove branches and passed the branches down an assembly line. The branches were then gathered in bundles and carried to nearby boats.

After the hard work was over, students learned some history about the Paepae o He`eia Fishpond and the efforts being made to keep this cultural site intact for future generations. As droplets of water started to fall from the sky, the students thanked the Paepae o He`eia Fishpond and Starbucks staff for the fun filled morning. After all their hard labor, students wolfed down a much deserved, yummy bento.

A big “MAHALO” to Starbucks and their awesome staff and also Paepae o He`eia staff for teaching HCAP’s Youth Services students about this cultural site and allowing them to help out.

Single Mother Thanks Weatherization Assistance Program for New Water Heater

This week, HCAP’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) staff heard from a grateful client. She gave a heartfelt thank you to the staff, letting them know just how important the program was to her. Here is her story:

When Alison came into HCAP’s Windward District Service Center, she had reached a point in which she had no options. She heard about the Weatherization Assistance Program and was hoping that it could help her. Being a single mother, she was living on a limited income. Most of her income was spent on her mortgage and she couldn’t afford her increasingly high utility bills. Things became even more difficult when her hot water heater broke down. Unable to replace the water heater, she and her four children began taking showers at a public swimming pool. That’s when Alison decided to seek help.

Through the Weatherization Assistance Program, HCAP was able to provide Alison with a high-efficiency hybrid heat pump water heater. In addition, Alison received other energy saving devices for her home. Besides being able to bathe at her own house, in the first month alone her electric bill was reduced by more than two hundred dollars. Alison had no idea that her old water heater was so inefficient and could not be happier with the replacement water heater that HCAP provided.

Kumuhonua Resident Helped to Foster Hope and Inspiration

After living with her family for four years, Jolene was asked to move out of her family’s home. Limited finances prevented Jolene from being able to afford market rental prices, and in 2014, Jolene applied for residency at the Kumuhonua Transitional Living Center.

Jolene arrived at Kumuhonua in the fall of 2014. Throughout her time at Kumuhonua, Jolene demonstrated a tremendous amount of self-discipline and dedication to accomplishing her goals. Jolene submitted housing applications to her Case Manager on a consistent basis, and steadily increased her savings every month. Jolene also obtained part-time employment while living at Kumuhonua, and utilized her knowledge of plants and farming to care for the plants around Kumuhonua. But even more importantly, she served as a great role model and source of support for other residents. Her positive attitude and strong spirit helped to foster hope and inspiration in many that she came in contact with.

Less than one year after coming to Kumuhonua, Jolene’s hard work paid off. She secured permanent senior housing and is now living in her own studio! Kumuhonua staff are so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Jolene, and they wish her continued success in the future!

Honolulu Fire Department Teaches Head Start Children How to Stop, Drop, and Roll!

During the month of October, Head Start children learned about fire safety and fire fighters. The children of Salt Lake Pre Plus learned what to do if a fire breaks out, where to go, and what to do if their clothing catches fire. The children identified the different exits in the classroom, located the class fire extinguisher, and learned what the word ‘extinguish’ means. Following the safety discussions, Head Start children received a special visit from the Honolulu Fire Department, Ladder 30, Moanalua Fire Fighters. They reminded children how to protect themselves if a fire should occur and shared about how they help people during emergencies. The firemen also showed some of the gears and tools that they use when responding to emergencies. Thank you to the Honolulu Fire Department for teaching our Head Start children!

HCAP’s Internal Program Audit Team Ensures Completeness and Accuracy

Each year, HCAP Director of Community Services, Robert Naniole puts together an Internal Program Audit (IPA) team to review all of the District Service Center program files and overall program operations. The IPA team members are selected from the the five District Service Centers as well as the Na Lima Hana Employment Core Services Program.

The purpose of the IPA team is to provide support to all of the five District Service Centers in further developing District Service Center programming, and preparing for external audits. The IPA team’s main approach is team-centered, collaborative, and cooperative.

Thank you to this year’s IPA team members:
Robert Naniole, Director of Community Services
Katy Perry, Community Service Manager
Rachel Yeager, Community Service Manager
James “JoJo” Upega, Program Coordinator
Sonny-Jean Preston, Community Worker
Georgette Aki, Community Worker
Robin Fakaosi, Community Worker