Nov 27, 2019 | Community
Each day of the week the Hale Kau Kau (House of Meals) program serves a hot meal to the hungry and the needy from their kitchen located at St. Theresa’s Church, 25 West Lipoa Street in Kihei. “During this season of Thanksgiving, I would like to share my gratitude to all the community members who help sustain the Hale Kau Kau program on a daily basis,” said the Reverend Monsignor Terrence A.M. Watanabe, pastor of St. Theresa Church and Hale Kau Kau Executive Director. “Working together makes such a difference and speaks volumes of how we are supposed to be involved with one another and caring for the needs of our community.”
Hale Kau Kau welcomes all who are in need of a hot, nutritious meal. They offer a wide range of delicious options, 365 days a year, including an entrée, salad, starch, dessert and drink. For the convenience of the diners, they have a number of picnic tables available, a sink for washing up, and the good company of all those who join them each day. The arrangement is win-win: all who need a meal and those who volunteer receive nurture for their bodies and nurture for their souls. A volunteer tourist from Wisconsin noted, “I am a big supporter of this program and when visiting Maui I want to help people.”
Hale Kau Kau was founded August of 1991 by a diverse group of South Maui individuals. Today, their mission, feeding with compassion and aloha, is to serve anyone who comes to their kitchen at meal-time. They deliver to ill and disabled homebound clients in South Maui, and distribute weekly food baskets and emergency food supplies to families in crisis.
Rev. Watanabe explained, “Sorting and stocking the pantry is a daily job for those who generously give of their time and cooking talents. Everyone in need is welcome and there is something for everyone to do and contribute. Individuals can become fundraisers, delivery drivers, or donors of money, food, goods and clerical services. Dinner is served Monday-Friday, 5-6pm; Weekends 4:30-5:30pm; and Thanksgiving and Christmas at 12 noon.”
Registration is open for our 17th Annual Mulligans-On-The-Blue Charity Golf Tournament for Feeding the Hungry, on Saturday, November 30, 2019. For more info call Mary at 808-875-8754 or email: halekaukau@rcchawaii.org.
Rev. Msgr. Terrence A.M. Watanabe, Pastor of St. Theresa Church, Executive Director, Hale Kau Kau Program
Oct 2, 2019 | Community
Keola and Moana Beamer, Hawaii’s First Music Couple, tour the world to present their unique vision of Hawaii’s cultural arts and to share aloha. Keola, a master musician and slack key artist, who earned a place on Billboard’s Top World Music Albums Chart, and Moana, renowned for her mastery of authentic hula dancing, bring life to the natural beauty and cultural awareness that makes Hawaii uniquely appealing.
“Since my husband and I began touring together, the value of connecting with different communities has been quite apparent to us,” said Moana. “Over time, it seems our work has opened numerous paths for sharing aloha around the world.”
Moana reflected, “One such path began as an opportunity to meet and work with Emmy-award-winning filmmaker Dr. Tom Vendetti on a film project called ‘The Quietest Place’. We hit it off and from there followed an invitation to participate in a film festival Vendetti had begun in Cambodia, where a large group of enthusiastic children prepared a hula performance to welcome us.”
“Keola wondered aloud what these children might also accomplish with a ukulele in their hands,” said Moana. “The instrument that many of us here in Hawaii have been blessed to grow up with—four strings, simple, portable, historically well-traveled, versatile. Perfect!”
The following year, the hotel that sponsored the Angkor Wat Film Festival had generously agreed to host the Beamer’s Ukulele Education Project, providing space for classes and meals for the children. Bringing teachers from their Aloha Music Camp, the Beamers’ taught 40 poverty-stricken children living in Cambodia how to play the ‘ukulele. The children are now performing concerts in Siem Reap. The Beamers’ hope to continue this effort, sharing the aloha spirit in Myanmar, as well as other places around the world.
“I am sure there can be no better outcome for those individuals who helped make it all possible,” Moana said. “But, best of all, for the children whose lives we were privileged to touch for a brief moment in time. It was one of those experiences that enlighten our sensibilities for a long time to come.”
Aloha Music Camp, a week-long immersion into the music, dance, and culture of Hawaii, provides ukuleles, and more, to persons who want to immerse themselves in island culture at the camp. For more camp information visit www.mohalahou.org and www.alohamusiccamp.com.
Moana Beamer
Sep 4, 2019 | Community
On Maui since 1972, Mental Health America (MHA) of Hawaii has been a leading mental health education and advocacy organization. Dedicated to promoting wellness, MHA’s prevention programs are designed to improve the care and treatment of people living with mental illness and to reduce the stigma of it. “As we look ahead, the Maui office of MHA is gearing up the education side of our agency for a very busy year,” said Danielle Bergan, MHA Maui Community Coordinator. “We hope to expand mental health awareness in schools and community organizations and continue to advocate at the legislature for mental health on behalf of the community.”
Some of the programs available for youth and adults include Youth Suicide and Bullying Prevention, to combat bullying and suicide ideation amongst Hawaii’s youth. “It aims to teach youth how to recognize and intervene in a bullying situation and how to use suicide prevention tools,” said Bergan. “We will be conducting several of these two-hour trainings for our Maui intermediate and high schools throughout the year. We can also provide it for agencies that work with youth, including community and church groups.”
Youth Mental Health First Aid is an eight-hour public education program which introduces participants to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents. It builds understanding of the importance of early intervention and teaches individuals how to help an adolescent in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge. Additionally, there is a Mental Health First Aid program that is geared for adults.
“Especially for adults we offer ‘Live Your Life Well’,” Bergan explained. “This training is a one-hour mental wellness presentation about stress in everyday life and the workplace that includes a clinically tested program of 10 actions that can help to improve mental health. This is a great training for companies and organizations to help their employees better cope with stress.”
Bergan concluded, “We hope raising awareness of the issues and recognizing the signs of mental illness will bring insight to handling its challenges. It is a sign of courage, not weakness, to seek help.”
MHA is offering all their trainings to the community at no cost. Learn how to identify problems, intervene, and get help. For more information call: (808) 242-6461.
Danielle Bergan, MHA Maui Community Coordinator
Aug 21, 2019 | Community
Rachael Ray, a successful Maui artist, was invited for the first time as a guest speaker at Maui Economic Development Board’s 3rd annual Hawaii Small Business Conference (HSBC). “I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to make a lasting impression on the HSBC attendees about the importance of service with aloha in our island chain,” Ray said. “For my part, sharing aloha in my business permeates all my relationships and every canvas I paint.”
Ray, a self-taught artist who loves to paint with Rembrandt oils, can often be found talking story with customers and working in U’i, her Kahului Maui art gallery. A graduate of Baldwin High School, Ray remembers her early childhood on Molokai as the beginning of her appreciation for Hawaii’s majestic surroundings. “I find endless inspiration through the vibrant colors and movement in my Hawaiian landscape and from my love and respect for the ‘aina,” she said.
U’i Gallery, Ray’s 1500 square-foot space, offers not only her own artwork. An exclusive selection of hand-made products by other local craftsmen are offered in a price range for everyone. Through her hospitable aloha service and the gallery’s allure, Ray’s customers soon become family.
“I love talking story with our customers and getting to know them,” she explained. “While making a sale is important, even if they don’t purchase the first time, people come back when they are cared for, and the repeat business helps our bottom line year after year. Aloha is communicated. I call it ‘coconut wireless’.”
Ray uses Hawaiian values to support her life and her business. Believing in aloha-motivation over profit, she makes a conscious effort to have gallery visitors leave feeling good and welcomed with aloha. She believes this is a responsibility we each have to become better in our own personal and business relationships.
Ray concluded, “Growing up in Hawaii we were taught to give first and then receive. Aloha builds on itself. It is contagious, with extraordinary results. Aloha is imperative to our mental and physical health, our overall welfare, and to Hawaii’s business vitality. Live Aloha!”
Aloha is everything! Smile from the heart, be genuine, be yourself. Be Aloha!
Rachael Ray, Artist and Owner, U’i Gallery
Jul 10, 2019 | Community
Pono Shim, President and CEO of Oahu Economic Development Board and a notable speaker at Maui Economic Development Board’s 3rd annual Hawaii Small Business Conference (HSBC), is a gifted storyteller and speaker in Hawaii and internationally. He is well-known for his belief that the majority of social issues facing individuals, organizations, and communities are symptoms of deeper problems that can and must be addressed today.
“A true leader works to bridge the members of the community, giving dignity to whom they are and what they have to offer,” said Shim. “I believe that Aloha is the practical application of respect and reciprocity needed to restore personal and professional health, and drive entrepreneurship and professionalism forward.”
Shim shared Aloha insights with attendees at the HSBC and provided them with techniques he learned at a young age from Lahaina-born Auntie Pilahi Paki. In 1986, Hawaii lawmakers passed the Aloha Spirit Law (Hawaii Revised Statutes, Section 5-7.5), which the late Auntie Palahi wrote. A visionary foreseeing a 21st century world in strife, Auntie Pilahi knew the world would look to Hawaii for healing. “Aloha would be its remedy,” she said.
In 1970 at a Governor’s conference, Auntie Palahi introduced Hawaii to the five values that make up the Aloha Spirit Law. A: Akahai, meaning kindness, expressed with tenderness; L: Lokahi, meaning unity, expressed with harmony; O: ‘Olu’olu, meaning agreeable, expressed with pleasantness; H: Ha’aha’a, meaning humility, expressed with modesty; and A: Ahonui, meaning patience, waiting for the moment, expressed with perseverance.
Shim noted, “A person cannot do one of the principles without truly doing all. If you are not doing one you are not doing any. So, to be living Aloha is to live all of the principles. Another deep spiritual meaning of Aloha which Auntie Palahi shared can be found in a 1917 quote from Queen Lili’uokalani, ‘To gain the kingdom of heaven is to hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen, and to know the unknowable—that is Aloha. All things in this world are two; in heaven, there is but One.’ ”
According to the Aloha Spirit Law, all Hawaii citizens and government officials must conduct themselves with aloha, which is a real commitment to accepting others.
Pono Shim, President and CEO, Oahu Economic Development Board
Jul 3, 2019 | Community
In June, students from Maui, Moloka’i and Lana’i took part in Summer Adventures in Healthcare. The three-day event was presented by the Maui County Healthcare Partnership (MCHP) and Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) STEMworks™. MCHP, originally launched in March 2017, is an alliance of healthcare organizations across Maui County− coordinated and staffed by MEDB. Together, they are motivated by the shared needs of the County’s numerous participating healthcare providers.
“The state of Hawaii has a shortage of physicians right now and an even greater shortage in most other health professions,” said Lalaine Pasion, STEMworks™ Project Manager. “The MCHP event introduced Maui County middle- and high-schoolers to the healthcare systems within their communities.”
Fueling their curiosity for possible careers, the students toured local healthcare facilities including Maui Memorial Medical Center (MMMC), Hale Makua, the Pacific Cancer Institute, and the University of Hawaii Maui College Nursing Program. Throughout the event, mentors and volunteers created inspiring and memorable experiences for them. Participants learned essential life skills with a variety of medical instruments and hands-on practices. They met with patients, took vital signs, and learned how to cast a broken arm. Additionally, students joined a public health team designed to combat malaria around the world. They learned how to extract DNA from a strawberry and how it relates to vaccinations.
Brenton Turner, MSHA, CMD, RT(R)(T) Pacific Cancer Institute, told the students, “Identify how you can turn a passion into a healthcare career, and recognize that healthcare offers many career options beyond doctors or nurses.”
Chaenel Deluna, Moloka’i High School, said, “Our visit to the hospital made such an impact on me. We learned about the different careers it takes to run one. I didn’t realize how many people worked for MMMC!”
Baldwin High School student Kazzandra Anton noted, “Our final Summer Adventures in Healthcare experience featured six hours of CPR, First Aid, AED, and HIPAA training and certification. This valuable hands-on experience provided us with skills we can always use to save lives. I’m thankful to MCHP and MEDB for this opportunity to learn about possible healthcare careers right here in Hawaii.”
MCHP strives to improve the healthcare delivery system of Maui County. During Summer Adventures in Healthcare they provided students with an interactive healthcare experience in an exciting and fun way.
Lalaine Pasion, STEMworks™ Project Manager
May 15, 2019 | Community, Sustainability
An affordable housing survey focusing on the West Maui community has just begun circulation to help define the extent of the need for affordable workforce housing upon which the West Maui economy depends. The initiative for the survey came from the community itself, led by long-time resident Lori Sablas, who has spent most of her career in the visitor industry. “My Dad worked for Pioneer Mill and purchased our first home in 1969 for $19,380. Our monthly payment was $104 per month; how times have changed!”
Lori knows the value of home ownership and her motivation is to help the West Maui workforce buy a home near their workplace, just as her Dad did. As the former Director of Ka’anapali Beach Hotel’s Project Po’okela program, she developed educational opportunities for staff to learn about Hawaiian culture. She was also instrumental in bringing West Side hoteliers together to support the commuter bus system and subsidizing fares to reduce traffic congestion and make commuting as easy as possible.
Across Maui County, as elsewhere in the state and nationally, affordable housing is a critical issue as supply fails to keep up with demand. Recent studies have shown that it is an issue that represents a major constraint on economic development, and as the Maui County General Plan states, “When adequate or appropriate housing is unattainable to a large portion of the population, it negatively impacts the entire community and decreases overall quality of life.”
Originally shaped by an informal working group of West Side HR directors and employers led by Lori Sablas and further developed by MEDB, the West Maui Workforce Housing Survey is a first step to defining the need through data provided by residents. The exercise will better inform our local community, our policymakers, and real estate development companies about the demand for affordable housing. The survey is entirely anonymous and can be accessed online at www.medb.org/wmsurvey.
In seeking resident input, Lori Sablas notes, “I felt strongly that we need to ask our workforce about this issue and address it from the bottom-up, as opposed to top-down. It’s an initiative than we can deploy in other areas – such as South Maui, if we find the information we collect is useful.”
The West Side Affordable Housing Survey started from a grass-roots level. My sincere hope is that our combined efforts will result in more of our workforce becoming homeowners, just like my Dad did.
Lori Sablas, cultural specialist and community advocate
May 8, 2019 | Community
Enjoy your Labor Day weekend while investing in STEM education. MEDB invites you to our annual fundraising dinner, “Pathways To Our Future.”
Where: Wailea Beach Resort–Marriott, Maui
When: Saturday, August 31, 2019
4:30 pm: Reception and Silent Auction
6:00 pm: Dinner and Live Auction
Enjoy a festive evening of food, fun and camaraderie…
- BID on over 150 fabulous items during the Apples for Education Auction
- COMPETE in teams during MEDB’s signature interactive game
- ENJOY memorable presentations by Maui County’s STEM stars
- CONGRATULATE this year’s student and teacher award winners
Proceeds go to advance MEDB’s STEM programs from kindergarten to careers; as well as enabling MEDB to continue to pursue meaningful pathways that benefit the lives of our residents in Maui County and statewide.
Individual seats are $200. Save $15/person on individual tickets, if you register and pay by July 4th.
Sponsorship opportunities are available.
For information and reservations, please visit: www.medb.org/KAH
Feb 6, 2019 | Community
Maui County cancer patients and their families have a place of “Hope” on Oahu. The Clarence T.C. Ching Hope Lodge Hawaii, funded through the American Cancer Society (ACS), provides extended stay facilities to those involved in cancer treatments and their caregivers.
“At the 2018 ACS HopeFest event, all net proceeds benefited the Lodge, a free accommodation where guests can rest in their private rooms or connect with others who understand their struggle,” said Cathy Alsup, Executive Director, ACS Hawaii Pacific. “Since opening in 2016, the $12 million facility, built by ACS, has provided approximately 8,000 nights of free lodging to patients from Hawaii, Guam, and American Samoa.”
Tyson Miyake, HopeFest co-chair, explained, “A home away from home, Hope Lodge is more than just a roof over their heads. It’s a nurturing community that helps all Maui County patients access the care they need as well as a nurturing environment. Amenities include 20 private guest rooms with baths, common dining and kitchen areas, laundry facilities, and more. A stay at Hope Lodge eliminates many emotional and financial concerns, allowing patients to focus on getting well.”
Maui resident and ACS volunteer Sarah Shim added, “ACS imagines a world free from cancer! They’ve invested more than 4.6 billion dollars in cancer research since 1946, all to find more and better treatments, uncover factors that may cause cancer, and improve cancer patients’ quality of life. Whether conducting research or funding it, the goal remains the same: to free the world from the pain and suffering from cancer.”
Maui resident and guest at Hope Lodge Louise Corpuz concluded, “There are extraordinary people at Hope Lodge. I stayed there for one night before my operation. However, my son and daughter were guests for a week while I was in the hospital. I am thankful, grateful and blessed to have received the helpful family support from these wonderful people. It is so kind to help a family when one member is hospitalized. I send the Hope Lodge community many mahalo’s from Maui County.” Visit Hope Lodge Hawaii online for more information.
It’s hard on neighbor-island cancer patients who must travel to Oahu for treatment. The free lodging facility takes much stress off patients and their families.
Cathy Alsup, Executive Director, American Cancer Society Hawaii Pacific
