HCAP Weekly October 27, 2014

In this week’s issue:

Client Sees 40% Drop in Utility Bill After Receiving Weatherization Services
Trick-Or-Treat!
Head Start Children Learn About Halloween Safety
Partnership with Aloha Stadium Paves the Way for Employment
Creating an “Aloha Response” To Helping Hawaii’s Youth and Families
HCAP to Participate in #GivingTuesday
Welcome to our newest staff members!

Client Sees 40% Drop in Utility Bill After Receiving Weatherization Services

Alberta had seen an HCAP flyer promoting home energy efficiency services and felt that it would be a good way to cut back on her monthly electric utility bill. She went to the HCAP Leeward District Service Center and applied for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), where staff assisted her through the application process. Alberta’s eligibility for the program enabled her to receive a residential energy audit with home-specific energy conservation education. She also received new CFL bulbs, high-efficiency showerheads and faucet aerators, an Energy Star refrigerator, and a complete solar water heating system, all at no cost to her. In her first utility bill that she received after HCAP Weatherization services, she saw a reduction of over 40% in electricity costs from the prior month.

Trick-Or-Treat!

On Thursday, October 30th, Hawaii Pacific University student nurses went on their weekly run into “the bush,” which is located near the Waianae Boat Harbor to provide the homeless with non-urgent healthcare. While they tended to wounds, they also gave Halloween treats to about 50 kids, ages two to sixteen. During the yearly haunted house held on October 31st by the homeless community, the Leeward District Service Center donates McDonald’s gift certificates to the best children’s costumes.

Head Start Children Learn About Halloween Safety

The children of Head Start Salt Lake Pre-Plus received a special visit from a few police officers from the Honolulu Police Department. With Halloween just around the corner, Officer Rodney, Officer Teisa, Officer Kevin, and Corporal Jose created a keiki ID for each of the children. They discussed pedestrian safety practices for the children to follow while trick-or-treating at night, such as staying with an adult, having a flashlight to see in the dark, crossing the street using the crosswalk, and how to identify a police officer in case they are lost or need help. To conclude their visit, Officer Rodney took the children outside to take a closer look at his police car. The children learned about the different parts of the police car, including the siren and GPS system.

Partnership with Aloha Stadium Paves the Way for Employment

Theresa came into the Leahi District Service Center seeking HCAP’s assistance in finding employment. She stumbled upon the “Leahi Community Breakfast” flyer on the Oahu Work Links community board and decided to attend the event at the Leahi District Office. She enthusiastically went through the Na Lima Hana Employment Core Services training program, which helped her to update her resume, create career goals, and improve her interviewing skills. HCAP community worker, Rachel Yeager was able to assist Theresa in her job hunt. Through a partnership between HCAP and the Aloha Stadium she secured employment as an usher. Theresa has maintained employment at the Aloha Stadium and has reached employment for 90 days. Congratulations Theresa, and thank you Aloha Stadium for your partnership!

Creating an “Aloha Response” To Helping Hawaii’s Youth and Families

On Tuesday October 28, 2014, HCAP participated in a youth service focused training by the Hawaii Pacific Center for Excellence and the Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawaii, called Creating an “Aloha Response” to Helping Hawaii’s Youth and Families. Every organization that was invited has a vision and goal of caring for Hawaii’s children. The training’s main purpose was to share a cultural insight into navigating through our organizational identities to come to a collective effort toward expanding opportunities and resources to help our youth and families. The overreaching message is to create an “aloha response” to meet the challenge of developing partnerships and programs that can provide meaningful assistance and wraparound care for Hawaii’s youth and their families.

Pono Shim, President and CEO of Enterprise Honolulu, Oahu Economic Development Board co presented the event with Melvin Horikami, a senior executive, practitioner, educator and community volunteer. Through their stories and experiences, they skillfully shared the Aloha Response. The use of the Aloha Response focuses on using the connection we have to one another to resolve issues with higher skills and respect in our relationships.

According to Pono, Auntie Pilahi taught him that Aloha is made up of five words, with the following literal and symbolic translations:
Akahai: Grace, kindness to be expressed with tenderness
Lokahi: Unbroken, unity to be expressed with harmony
Olu‘olu: Gentle, agreeable to be expressed with pleasantness
Ha‘ha‘a: Empty, humility to be expressed with modesty
Ahonui: Waiting for the moment, patience to be expressed with perseverance

One of the main things we walked away with after this training is a better sense of the large number of other youth and family services available in Hawaii and the renewed initiative to create and improve partnerships within the community. We are all part of a collective effort to connect youth and their families to caring support systems. To do this using the “Aloha Response” is a powerful and effective tool in the fight against poverty.

HCAP to Participate in #GivingTuesday

Honolulu Community Action Program, Inc. (HCAP) is pleased to announce our participation in the 2014 #GivingTuesday campaign. Just in time for the holiday season, HCAP will encourage the act of giving by hosting and highlighting various community events throughout the month of November. Using the power of the social media hashtag #GivingTuesday, the movement invites people around the world are able to participate in the massive conversation around the globe. #GivingTuesday takes place on December 2, 2014.

To participate in #GivingTuesday, HCAP’s Youth Services students have chosen to make approximately 30 care packages for homeless families in the Kakaako area. We are asking our HCAP ohana to assist us with collecting donations of new or gently used blankets and towels, umbrellas, tarps, non-perishable food items, toiletries (toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc), hygiene items (toilet paper, toothbrushs, hair brushes, etc) and little toys.

Welcome to our newest staff members!

Melyssa Casupang – Head Start Assistant Teacher Trainee

Brys’n Peters-Valdez – Head Start Family Advocate

Eliza Sprague – Head Start Family Advocate Trainee

Anna Marie Scully – Head Start Assistant Teacher

Charmaine Ubiedi – Head Start Teacher I

Lana Ulu – Head Start Family Advocate Trainee