HCAP WEEKLY September 7, 2020

Youth At-Risk of Homelessness Finds Employment and Works Towards Finding His Path in Life
Windward District Service Center Receives a Make-Over Thanks to Sakoda Painting & Services LLC
Leeward District Volunteer Finds Employment at Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center
Head Start Keiki Learn from Home with the Help of Hands-On Projects!

Youth At-Risk of Homelessness Finds Employment and Works Towards Finding His Path in Life

Community Workers at the HCAP Windward District Service Center first met Aukanai’i at RYSE, a residential facility for homeless and at-risk youth.  Aukanai’i was struggling with homelessness, troubled family relationships, and finding his path in life.  He was in search of employment and stable housing.  Windward District’s Community Workers quickly registered Aukanai’i with HCAP’s Nā Lima Hana Employment Core Services (ECS) Program and assessed his needs. Through the ECS Program, Aukani’i  started job readiness training and created a resume that highlighted his skills and strengths.

After working hard to complete his job readiness training and send out his resume,  Aukanai’i quickly gained employment at Pico Enterprises Inc, a local inventory delivery and control company.  HCAP staff maintained contact with Aukanai’i and helped him reach a milestone of 180 days of employment.  Aukanai’i was also presented with incentive gift cards through the ECS Program after reaching his employment milestones. With his hard work and dedication, Aukanai’i started to re-establish his path in life.

As of today, Aukanai’i has begun to repair his relationship with his parents and is living back at home.  In the midst of the pandemic and company shutdowns, Auakanai’i is still employed and is currently working on finding independent housing.  Due to the experience he gained from HCAP’s ECS program and his current employment, Aukanai’i was also able to successfully obtain a second job at CVS Pharmacy.

HCAP would like to congratulate Aukanai’i on his newfound employment opportunities. Our agency is committed to providing individuals and families with hope and inspiration and we hope that Aukanai’i continues on his path towards a brighter future. For more information on HCAP’s Na Lima Hana Employment Core Services Program, visit our website: https://www.hcapweb.org/na-lima-hana-employment-core-services-program/.

Windward District Service Center Receives a Make-Over Thanks to Sakoda Painting & Services LLC

Once a year, Sakoda Painting & Services LLC chooses one non-profit site to receive a building make-over. This year, owner Travis Sakoda chose HCAP’s Windward District Service Center! The company cleaned and painted the entire outside of the building, covering up any graffiti. Thanks to Sakoda Painting & Services LLC, the Windward District Service Center once again has a beautiful exterior and stands proudly beneath the beauty of the Ko’olau Mountains. A big Mahalo to Sakoda Painting and Services LLC for their generosity and thank you to HCAP Community Worker, Cory Dias for spearheading the project.

Leeward District Volunteer Finds Employment at Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center

HCAP is excited to share that Shayna, a former volunteer at the Leeward District Service Center, has obtained employment at the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (WCCHC) as a medical receptionist.  Shayna is a mother of four and has spent the last few years taking care of her young children. Over the past few years, Shayna has prioritized the care of her children first and foremost, but she recently decided to seek employment.  Finding employment is not easy given the COVID-19 pandemic and the high rate of unemployment, but Shayna was fortunate enough to secure her position with WCCHC during this challenging time. Shayna needed help acquiring her necessary work uniforms, so she reached out to HCAP staff and was able to obtain the items through HCAP’s Nā Lima Hana Employment Core Services (ECS) Program. Working at WCCHC will provide Shayna with exposure to  the medical sector, and she hopes to further her career in this field.

Our staff is very excited for Shayna! We love seeing our volunteers thrive, and hope that Shayna can utilize the skills she has learned as an HCAP volunteer in her new position.

Head Start Keiki Learn from Home with the Help of Hands-On Projects!

HCAP Head Start teachers are working hard to ensure that keiki still get to experience learning tools used in the classroom.  Check out some of the awesome hands-on projects our keiki are creating from the safety of their homes! 

HCAP keiki are learning about personal hygiene, and dental care is first on the list!  Kahiau and his mom created a hygiene model to teach Kahiau about dental care.  To learn how to brush, where to brush, and the importance of brushing,  Kahiau and his mom created a hygiene model using a cardboard box, construction paper, and egg cartons. With help from his mom, Kahiau practiced brushing and learned about the different parts of the mouth. The hygiene model even had a tongue! Parents are keiki’s first teachers and our Head Start parents are doing an amazing job working alongside our teachers to reinforce learning concepts and keep routines while staying at home. Keep learning and brushing Kahiau!

Kennedy from Halawa Head Start created a color collage as instructed by her teacher.  With the guidance of her parents, Kennedy cut a box into varying shapes and sizes. Then she glued the cut outs together to make a beautiful color collage!  Through this fun project, Kennedy learned new skills from cutting to gluing. And to keep with the color scheme, Kennedy paired her project with a beautiful blue and purple dress! Great job Kennedy!

Ewa II Teachers mailed playdough recipes to keiki and their families. The playdough recipes helped children to work on their motor development and build muscles needed for pre-writing.  The teachers asked the keiki to use the playdough to form the letters of their name. Parents helped their keiki form letters and it looks like they had a lot of fun!