HCAP WEEKLY October 7, 2024

Windward Client Regains Footing in Life with Multiple HCAP Services

Kapilinaleialoha first came to the Windward District Service Center in early July 2024 seeking assistance for her past due utility bill. Upon her arrival, she completed a full centralized intake application and family assessment to determine what type of HCAP programs and services she could benefit from. Kapilinaleialoha was not receiving income except from SNAP and relied on community services to help meet her basic needs. She was immediately referred for emergency utility assistance through the Hawai’i Home Energy Assistance Program (H-HEAP) and was approved for $700.00.  

Windward staff also informed Kapilinaleialoha about HCAP’s Nā Lima Hana Employment Core Services (ECS) program and all the services offered to help clients enter the workforce. Kapilinaleialoha completed the job readiness training which included; resume building, interview skills, basic computer, budgeting, career goals and time management. Following the job readiness training, she was given several job leads and referrals to partnering agencies and agreed to continue to work with staff on her progress.

Determined to get her finances on track, Kapilinaleialoha quickly started to complete job applications and found success as she started to receive calls for job interviews. Amongst those calls was from The Plaza Assisted Living Center. In August 2024, she with a positive attitude, she completed a great consultation, explaining what she could offer. She was offered a position as a dining room server following her appointment.

Once Kapilinaleialoha was officially hired, she submitted a request at HCAP for assistance with obtaining work attire. Through the ECS program, Kapilinaleialoha was supplied with brand new work shoes and pants to go along with the top provided by her new employer. Since then, Kapilinaleialoha has reached a 30-day milestone and received her first incentive bonus. With her first two paychecks, Kapilinaleialoha has started to pay off additional utility bills and maintains payments on her account.

Kapilinaleialoha looks forward to future milestones and becoming self-sufficient. The Windward District Staff congratulates Kapilinaleialoha and is happy to see her exciting journey ahead.

Click here to learn more about HCAP’s programs and services.

Head Start Keiki Engage in a Career Day

Community Partnerships are an essential aspect of HCAP’s Head Start & Early Head Start programs. They allow for broad representation of core values and provide support for all of the children, families and staff.

At Waimalu Head Start, the children and teachers engaged in Career Day. From community helpers such as EMS Personnel, Policy Officers, Roadside Assistance Personnel to a Parent Entrepreneur, they learned about the important aspects of their various roles and how they contribute to the safety and well-being of our communities. Career Day provided the children with tangible connections and representations of their learned concepts, the opportunity for community engagement and establishment of role models.

Click here to learn more about HCAP Head Start and Early Head Start.

Kumuhonua Residents Learn About Resources to Assist with Financial Stability

For several weeks the Kalaeloa District Service Center has been working very closely with staff at the Kumuhonua Transitional Living Shelter (KTLC) to find new and positive ways to help clients who are currently receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits to increase their income. In talking with clients, staff found that many of them have misconceptions that if they are receiving these benefits that they are unable to work. Though there are many who are physically and mentally not able to do so, there are a few others that want to explore their options to ensure that they are able to sustain themselves once they are placed into permanent housing.

With the cost of living and groceries continuing to rise, staff want to encourage clients and ensure that those living on a fixed income have access to resources that can help them to be financially stable. The Kalaeloa staff reached out to several community resources to form a partnership with an agency who could provide clients with information to help them make informed decisions on how employment could negatively or positively affect them. In doing so, staff met with Riley from Work Now Hawaii. Work Now Hawaii, is an agency that works with individuals with disabilities (both mental and physical) to provide them services such as job coaches, benefit planning, and so much more. Through this new partnership with Work Now Hawaii, staff were also able to form a partnership with Ronald from the University of Hawaii Center for Disabilities Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Program.

On September 30, 2024, Ronald visited KTLC to give an informative presentation for all clients currently receiving SSI or SSDI benefits, and are either currently working or in the process of finding employment. In this presentation, he covered topics such as how many hours someone with SSI or SSDI benefits can work, how much they can make a month without it negatively affecting their benefits, the difference between the two types of benefits, and more. Not only were the clients very responsive to the presentation, but were also actively involved in a Q&A session that helped to alleviate any concerns they may have had prior.

Kalaeloa and Kumuhonua staff would like to give a big mahalo to the new community partners for coming out and speaking with the clients, and also for the wealth of information that they were able to provide.

Click here to learn more about Kumuhonua Transitional Living Center.