Loren Lapow, founder and director of the Maui Hero Project (MHP), Inc., believes that everyone has a hero or heroine within. With a master’s degree in social work, Lapow founded MHP in 2000 and has been coaching adults, youth, families, and communities ever since. Using evidenced-based techniques and his exceptional capacity to guide people through life crises, he has helped thousands to transform their lives.
“We are all on a journey in life,” Lapow noted. “We can all learn how to take control and create positivity in our lives as well as to serve others. In fact, the main skill participants come away with is to be the person who steps up when something happens, to be more confident in taking the leadership role while others might not.”
Lapow integrated the Teen CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) Program with the Hero Project to create a Hawaiian-style disaster preparedness course. Meeting at the Paia Youth & Cultural Center, students in the program undertake 100 hours of training that follows the national CERT curriculum. “The students amaze me by how much they care about each other and the community they are part of,” Lapow said. “I think they find strength in the way they act as a team.”
The Teen CERT program fuses disaster-preparedness training with Maui cultural stories, then adds in the adventure, search and rescue components. By re-tracing the Maui myths, youth are experientially taught core skills, as well as appreciation for Hawaiian culture. Some graduates of the program bring their training when they join the new HEROEZ Junior Red Cross Club also housed at the youth center.
Program graduate Elizabeth Clark said, “I still reflect on and learn from my experiences with MHP. Lapow inspired me to go into human services to work with youth in the future.” Maui author Toby Neal added, “Lapow is a motivating communicator who forges new and unique connections among diverse groups of people in a way I have seldom seen done in social work. He teaches his students to have confidence in themselves and how to provide help in the community.”
Our mission throughout the global pandemic is to help youth find connection despite distance, through acts of service to their community and everyday heroism.
Loren Lapow, Maui Hero Project, founder and director
Rainbow Jo, a dynamic upcountry clothing company, offers original artwork on clothing by Maui resident and designer Michele Joy Thornton. Since 1986, Thornton has served wholesale and retail customers throughout Hawaii and beyond with innovative and updated resort wear. Headquartered in Makawao, with a factory in Indonesia and her own building with a retail store and an Airbnb in historic downtown Hilo on the Big Island, Thornton manages both her Hawaii and overseas production staff.
Creating all of her own fabrics, Thornton’s designs and colors are complex, with each design requiring seven different screens for the process. She works out the color theories, doing the print designs and working with silk screeners to turn her artistic ideas into technically perfect realities.
“At Rainbow Jo, all of my original artwork is hand silk-screened onto natural fiber rayon clothing and steam set, using no chemicals to set the dye,” Thornton explained. “Plus, the highest quality French seams are used to ensure that the clothing from Rainbow Jo is always perfectly made and easy to care for. The ideas for my prints are inspired by nature and Maui’s beauty. I believe the continued successful growth of the company comes from my strong retail background, and my love of color and design.”
Thornton started selling clothing at age 16 and through the years her work led her to Hawaii. In 1982 she received a degree in marketing from Indiana University School of Business and after years of working in the clothing industry she was ready to begin her own venture.
Thornton reflected, “My ambition was to own my own business and Maui was the perfect location. Currently, the pandemic has changed normal business routines. At Rainbow Jo we have stayed resilient with an online business and now many of our island-wide retail stores have re-opened. My plan is to stay flexible enough to know when to make changes and follow new trends and procedures. My hope is that careful planning and the hard work that built Rainbow Jo will see us through the Covid crisis. Persistence and resilience are everything!”
We feel blessed at Rainbow Jo to be resilient in an economic climate that has hit small businesses hard.
Michele Joy Thornton, Rainbow Jo, owner and designer
Maui Nui Marine Resource Council (MNMRC), a nonprofit organization founded in 2007, is recognized for working with the local community to create culturally appropriate and effective science-based solutions to serious threats facing Maui County’s reefs and environment. With unemployment at record levels because of Covid-19, MNMRC was recently a fiscal sponsor of a County of Maui Office of Economic Development (OED) Maui CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) program.
“Our vision is healthy coral reefs, clean ocean water, and abundant native fish,” said Mike Fogarty, MNMRC Executive Director and a principal organizer of the program. “Our team is grateful for this wonderful opportunity to help coral reefs and the surrounding environment and to provide paychecks to unemployed workers on Maui and Molokai during this challenging time of Covid-19. We thank Mayor Victorino and the OED for taking the bold step to establish the Maui CARES program with funding through the Federal CARES Act.”
MNMRC managed the rapid employment of more than 70 Maui and Molokai residents to work for seven local conservation nonprofits. The unique collaborative employment and workforce training program had a great impact on the local environment. The projects and accomplishments incorporated traditional Hawaiian cultural practices and modern technology to prevent sediment pollution in the ocean and protect valuable cultural resources.
“Many problems facing the local reefs originate on land, which is why the MNMRC projects and programs are community-based and work from mountain to sea, mauka to makai,” Lindsey said. “All projects were rooted in Hawaiian traditions and values that serve as the foundation of the community. They are all of great importance; a celebration of all that was accomplished and learned by those who came before us. The employees put their heart and soul into these challenging and impactful tasks.”
The participating nonprofits included: Ka Honua Momona on Molokai; Kipahulu ‘Ohana in East Maui; Hawaiian Islands Land Trust in Waihe’e; Ke Ao Hali’i in Hana; Kipuka Olowalu in West Maui; Na Moku Aupuni O Ko’olau Hui in East Maui; and Na Mamo O Mu’olea in East Maui.
The MNMRC workers ensured that legendary places would endure for generations to come.
Mike Fogarty, Executive Director, Maui Nui Marine Resource Council
As we celebrate Women’s History Month across the nation, Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) pays tribute to the late Maui-born Patsy Takemoto Mink, whose extraordinary achievements brought gender equality and other social justice issues to the forefront. Women’s History Month celebrates the contributions women have made to our country and recognizes their specific achievements over the course of American history in a variety of fields. In 1972, Time Magazine named Mink one of 100 women of the year who leveled the playing field, overcame oppression and worked to bring about changes in Hawaii and the world.
Representative Mink, rejected from numerous medical schools because she was a woman, also faced discrimination as a practicing lawyer. She then devoted her life to advocating for gender equality and educational reform. She was the first Asian-American woman to practice law in Hawaii and the first Asian-American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Mink said, “We have to build things that we want to see accomplished, in life and in our country, based on our own personal experiences, to make sure that others do not have to suffer the same discrimination.”
“As a champion for equity, Congresswoman Mink was one of the most influential voices in advancing women’s rights, civil rights, racial and social justice in the 20th Century,” said MEDB President & CEO Leslie Wilkins. Serving Hawaii and the nation for 13 Congressional terms, Representative Mink was the principal author of Title IX in the House of Representatives, with the late Senator Birch Bayh of Indiana writing the companion legislation in the Senate. Its enactment in 1972 mandated equal access for women’s academic and athletic programs in institutions receiving federal funding. Following her death in 2002, Title IX was officially renamed the Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act.
In October 1975, Mink told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, “It is easy enough to vote right and be consistently with the majority, but it is often more important to be ahead of the majority. This means being willing to cut the first furrow in the ground and stand alone for a while if necessary.”
Representative Mink’s life-long advocacy for equality continues to inspire us to build upon her legacy.
As for many businesses during the worldwide pandemic, it has been a challenging time for small community pharmacies. Kimberly Mikami Svetin, the third president of family-run Molokai Drugs, Inc., is worried about what is happening state-wide in her industry and across the country. “Our small pharmacies are going out of business,” Svetin said. “It is tragic. With everyone shopping online or going to the major chain stores, all small businesses, including mine, are being affected. I am a vocal supporter for small businesses, and am involved in our community with legislative matters that affect them.”
Molokai Drugs was founded in 1935 by Svetin’s late grandfather, Richard Sakata, who was Molokai’s first pharmacist. Several members of the family have taken part in the growth of Hawaii’s oldest independent pharmacy since then, including her father, David Mikami, who became the island’s second pharmacist in 1969.
Svetin currently oversees a staff of 29 employees, most of whom work between the pharmacy and the family’s 48-flavor ice cream shop. In fact, one employee, Frank Maniago, Jr. recently celebrated his 32nd anniversary at the pharmacy. In 1988, Mikami hired Frank two days before Christmas and he has been their right-hand man since, helping with the pharmacy’s services, delivering hospital beds to hospice patients, fixing broken wheelchairs, delivering prescriptions to kupuna, and other pharmacy services in the community.
Svetin is responsible for all management, human resources, marketing, community relations, purchasing, finance, and legal matters. “My focus right now is also on training future employees,” she added. “I am encouraging internships through the Aloha Connection Innovation program by employing people who want to work in pharmacy. I have collaborated with Frank De Rego, Jr., Director of Business Development Projects at Maui Economic Development Board, on this new initiative to nurture and grow knowledge-based work opportunities. Our stores are also focused on giving opportunities to Molokai’s public school students.”
Svetin concluded, “My personal legacy here at the pharmacy is to be a good employer, offer exceptional customer service, mentor the future generation and advocate for local businesses. Please support your local shops. The mom-and-pop businesses make Hawaii special and unique.”
My parents and late grandparents placed a high value on community service. I recall them often returning to the pharmacy at night to fill an emergency prescription
The Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce (MNHCoC) presented a virtual talk-story session about Hālau Perseverance. MNHCoC’s mission is to promote and sustain Hawaiian culture, nurture a strong community of Hawaiian values, and enhance opportunities for success in business and education.
Hālau hula (hula instruction) was discussed by speakers Kumu Hula Kealiʻi Reichel and Kauʻi Kanaka’ole. They talked story about cultural nurturing and endurance from a traditional hālau perspective. Reichel, a world-class performer, best-selling recording artist, and multiple award-winning kumu hula, has been at the forefront of the revival of Hawai’ian culture. Kanaka‘ole is a kumu hula trained in the renowned Hālau o Kekuhi with more than 20 years of experience in cultural advocacy. She has 14 years of teaching experience, including 11 years at Hana School.
“Kanaka’ole and Reichel are not only talented and experienced kumu hula, but also successful business and cultural entrepreneurs,” observed Frank De Rego Jr., President of the MNHCoC. “They remind us that adaptability in times of tremendous stress and volatility must be rooted in the foundational vision and values of a business, focusing especially on the welfare of others and not oneself alone.”
Reichel noted, “In the wake of the inconceivable, such as a global pandemic like Covid-19, cultural education, language, dances and storytelling have long thrived in the hālau hula. The hālau has survived multiple disruptions throughout Hawai’i’s history including the deadly epidemics of 1848, being forced underground during the missionary era, World War II, and the advent of industrial tourism. Businesses can learn from the hālau’s traditional values, ethics and cultural passion to emerge whole after this pandemic, through life lessons, character building and responsibility.”
Kanaka’ole added, “The hālau’s mission encourages a deep appreciation of Hawaiian cultural arts, leadership and teamwork skills, and the preservation of our āina. From generation to generation we must encompass many aspects of the cultural lifestyle in a learning environment where creativity thrives with a particular focus on music and hula. Students in the hālau range from keiki to kupuna. They are taught all aspects of traditional Hawaiian values that motivate and inspire them and can be applied in any circumstance.”
Covid-19 gave us time for reflection to appreciate and be grateful for all that we have. Hālau perseverance helps us adapt and still retain what is important.
Kealiʻi Reichel, Award-winning Kumu Hula and Recording Artist
George Kahumoku, Jr., known as Uncle George, is a multi-Grammy and Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winning Hawaiian slack key guitar master, songwriter, touring performer, teacher, artist, storyteller, author, and entrepreneur. The Maui slack key legend is currently also a farmer with his wife Nancy at the Cliffs of Kahakuloa. “We are a small, sustainable farm in the West Maui mountains,” said Uncle George. “We have mini-horses, chickens, ducks, goats and sheep, and we raise all manner of fruits and vegetables, you name it! We also feed our animals our own high-protein grains.”
Uncle George has won several statewide and national awards for farming. In 1993 he graduated from the Hawaiˊi State Agricultural Leadership Program. He is a community leader who taught a special motivation program at Lahainaluna High School for 20 years, and has worked with children in native language studies, farming, and other programs.
Beginning his day at 3am every morning, Uncle George uses natural indigenous Native Hawaiian planting methods. Influenced by the Hawaiian moon calendar, he incorporates lots of composting, manure and mulch. He also mentors students, feeds the homeless, and shares his seeds and manaˊo with over 200 farms in Hawai’i and across the globe. The plants, herbs, animals, and food that he grows, sells, and shares are all grown with Aloha.
“My goal has always been to feed people and be sustainable,” Uncle George reflected. “I was raised by my great grandfather Willy Kahumoku in the traditional Hawaiian method of mala or dry-land style of farming; using animals and fowl in an integrated sustainable system. I made a film documentary titled Seeds of Aloha and authored and did the artwork for volume one and two of the book A Hawaiian Life”.
Hawaiian slack key guitarist Keola Beamer reflected, “My mom, Aunty Nona Beamer, gave Uncle George the title of Hawaiˊi’s Renaissance Man because of his bountiful gifts. I am constantly amazed at his unstoppable energy. His ability to channel that special mana of creativity and storytelling into his art, farming, music and everything he does, has always impressed me. That sure feels like renaissance to me!”
My great grandmother told me if I have a dream, and can smell it, taste it, and feel it, that vision is mine. I have been blessed with the opportunity to draw on my visions.
Uncle George Kahumoku, Jr., Hawaiˊi’s Renaissance Man
Beginning a new year often involves core values worthy of preservation. During her talk for the Nisei Veterans Ta-Ke Leadership Series, Sharon Suzuki, President of Maui County and Hawaii Island Utilities, shared some of the values she grew up with. “My father, a Nisei Veteran, was a member of the 100th Battalion 442nd Infantry Regiment known for their loyalty and perseverance during WWII,” said Suzuki. “The Nisei values taught to me by my parents influence my life even today. The first of these, Gamon, means to endure. Endurance is a virtue that continues to help me through trying times, and is especially important now for all of us challenged with the Covid-19 pandemic.”
While living and studying in Japan, Suzuki learned that she must be flexible, a Ta-Ke value meaning ‘bends with the wind, strong and grounded, like bamboo’. “I fell in love with Japan,” Suzuki reflected. “With a degree in Japanese studies, I decided to teach Japanese and learned the importance of flexibility while living abroad. During this time, I decided to also earn a business degree, which opened many opportunities for me.”
Another value her parents instilled is Kanzen-sei, integrity. “Learning how to turn a negative into a positive is especially important in this value; to take the high road and do the right thing,” Suzuki noted. “This centers around the Japanese value of Giri, duty and obligation. Kodomo no tame ni, sacrifice for the sake of the children, for the future, is also a key value. At Hawaiian Electric, that means pursuit of renewable energy, new programs and community solar projects. If we can continue to work together we can help grow the economy with clean reliable sources for our future generation.”
Concluding, Suzuki said, “The values from our parents are relevant today. I used Japanese terminology but other cultures share similar values, like the Hawaiian value of Ohana. Values are retained by becoming part of our everyday lives. Their real meaning and significance are not merely a time of obligations fulfilled, but also an occasion for rejoicing and celebrating intrinsic and time-honored meanings that are worth preserving.”
My Dad always encouraged and supported me. His advice, ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained’ helped me to make major changes in my life when needed.
Sharon Suzuki, President, Maui County and Hawaii Island Utilities
With the advent of the Julian calendar in 46BC, the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar instituted January 1 as the first day of the year, honoring the month’s namesake, Janus – Roman god of beginnings, whose two faces allowed him to look back into the past and forward into the future. With the New Year upon us, it is time to look back and reflect and, after an extraordinary year, most will be looking forward to 2021 – looking forward to resolution with a different slant to the typical new year’s resolution.
“Happy New Year” is commonly expressed throughout the world, literally wishing someone happiness for the year ahead. This is translated to “Hau‘oli Makahiki Hou;” in Hawaiian, “makahiki” means “year.” The Makahiki season (around October through February) was celebrated in Hawaii for centuries as a peaceful time to enjoy harvest, feasts, religious ceremonies, and relaxation. The Mahahiki season also defined the transitional time between harvest and new planting —the new (agricultural) year.
The traditional greeting for Filipinos is “Manigong Bagong Taon,” meaning “Have a prosperous new year.” The Japanese have a different greeting based on the date – until December 31 they will say “Yoi Otoshi o” which conveys “good year end and greet the new year”. From January 1 the common expression is “Akemashite Omedetô (Gozaimasu)” conveying “congratulations for the New Year which is beginning.”
Other ways to greet in the new year around the world include: “Xin nian kuai le” pronounced shin nee-an kwai le (Mandarin, meaning “New Year happiness”); “Bonne Année” (French); Frohes Neues Jahr (German); “Feliz Año Nuevo” (Spanish); and Feliz Ano Novo (Portuguese.)
However you wish to express yourself as you venture into 2021, Maui Economic Development Board Ohana would like to be among the first to wish you “Hau’oli Makahiki Hou” and the very best for 2021 – Happy New Year!
Maui Economic Development Board Ohana would like to be among the first to wish you “Hau‘oli Makahiki Hou.” Happy New Year!
