Aloha United Way 2015

The Abilities Unlimited (AU) hula halau, Makana Palenaole, is one of the many educational opportunities that AU offers its participants. AU also teaches the fundamentals of tennis during classes at Kalākaua District Park. Donations to Aloha United Way enable AU to continue building inclusive communities that empower individuals with disabilities.

Hawaii Foodbank staff and volunteers start the morning at 7 a.m. each day to inspect and sort thousands of pounds of produce, dairy products, baked goods, frozen foods and eggs. Afa-Jesse Seumanu, of Chill and Receiving guides volunteer Matt Mailo through boxes of assorted fruit for inspection. Aloha United Way supports the Ohana Produce Plus Program, which allows food that passes inspection to be repacked, then delivered by Hawaii Foodbank drivers to agency distribution sites across O‘ahu. Last year, more than 3.9 million pounds of fresh produce was distributed to 21 communities on O‘ahu. The program served 155,484 people, representing households of two or more members in need of emergency food. For many, the Ohana Produce Plus Program is their only source of fresh fruits and vegetables.

This morning at Aloha United Way partner Moiliili Community Center, Shizuko Kagimoto (left), who’s almost 101 years old, and Thelma Watarai, almost 100, are eager to play games and solve puzzles—and they are quite adept at it! Here, the two exemplary elders concentrate on arranging letters into as many words as possible within a certain amount of time. Research shows that cognitive stimulation and memory exercises like this, practiced on a regular basis, are beneficial in slowing and even reversing the effects of aging and dementia. Both Kagimoto and Watarai attend the Kupuna Support Program at the Moiliili Community Center twice a week to have fun staying young!

Laverne Tanaka-Kawaakoa helps her granddaughter, Aurelia Rabanes, water plants in Inpeace’s Keiki Steps outdoor classroom at Nanakuli Elementary School. They are participants in the free parent participation program, which focuses on family-child interaction learning experiences from birth through five years of age. The program prepares children for kindergarten and strengthens family bonds.

Parents as Teachers (PAT) parent educator Claudia (left) assesses baby Lilyana as mother Chandellaine observes. Weekly in-home visits help parents such as Chandellaine gain knowledge about early childhood education and brain development. Aloha United Way partner INPEACE’s Parents as Teachers program empowers and supports parents in Wai‘anae to become their children’s first and best teachers. The program helps build and establish a strong parent-child relationship.

Building Stronger Families. In the early morning at Partners In Development’s Ka Pa‘alana Preschool, keiki entertain themselves with schoolyard toys while waiting for the preschool day to begin. Families often show up half an hour early because their children wake them up, eager to start school. (Pictured are: Macarianna Chow (preschooler holding the toy baby), Christian Chow (preschooler with his back to the camera picking up a toy), and Jennifer Chow, (mom, in back). Donations to Aloha United Way helped Partners In Development serve more than 4,000 keiki and adults last year.

Preschool teacher Dawn Somera (in green T-shirt), leads the circle time at the start of preschool. Circle time is a rich opportunity to use the novelty of song and motion to introduce concepts as pattering, syllables and others. Pictured are Anjeleena-Marie Jetnil (infant), Christina Iosia (in gray t-shirt), Lucyta Bolten and Elfrena Bolten (both seated in Dawn’s lap), and Dawn Somera (Ka Pa’alana Preschool teacher).

The Therapeutic Nursery at The Salvation Army Family Treatment Services provides a continuum of care to strengthen the family unit. Donations to Aloha United Way support the only nursery of its kind in the State of Hawai‘i. This mother and child recovery program includes family counseling, outpatient and outreach services, parenting education, child development assessments and individual therapy services for mother and infant.

Children at Easter Seals Hawaii’s Sultan Early Intervention Program enjoy fun bubble time catching and popping bubbles with friends and creating glitter Valentine’s Day creations. Aloha United Way donations support Easter Seals Hawaii early intervention programs, which are designed to be family-centered, culturally-sensitive, coordinated and comprehensive programs for families with children up to age 3 who are experiencing or are at risk for developmental delays. The programs optimize development and achieve the highest possible level of functioning.

Patrons at FeedingHawaiiTogether.org browse for nutritious items in the food pantry. FeedingHawaiiTogether.org employs a grocery-store style setup, which enables qualifying individuals to select from a wide assortment of perishable and non-perishable foods directly from refrigerators and shelves. Last year, Aloha United Way donations equipped FeedingHawaiiTogether.org to meet the food needs of 66,000 adults, 11,000 children and 46,000 households with 3,000,000 pounds of food.

Each month, the Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii (HMHB) staff invites high-risk expecting and new moms, partners and family members to participate in Hawaii Cribs for Kids Program classes. This popular program is designed to reduce infant mortality by educating families on how to help their baby sleep safely. The HMHB staff provides eager participants with the knowledge and skills to set their babies up with a safe and healthy start in life.

Parents And Children Together (PACT) Mikiala Early Screening Program completes developmental, hearing and vision screens on children who are 2 through 5 years old. Completing early screenings can help ensure that any concerns are addressed before they negatively impact a child’s ability to learn. Donations to Aloha United Way partner agency PACT work to ensure a brighter future for Hawai‘i’s keiki.

Kupuna enjoy socializing at a friendly game of bowling and arts and crafts at Palolo Chinese Home. Your Aloha United Way donations help support more than 100 elderly residents at the home and its mission to provide a continuum of care to Hawai‘i’s seniors.

As some Variety School students in occupational therapy work on integrating their senses through activities that provide movement and muscle resistance, other students participate in a sensory group with the adaptive PE teacher to better prepare themselves for seated classroom work. Donations to Aloha United Way partner agency Variety School assist the school’s mission in identifying and educating children with autism, learning disabilities, and attention deficit disorder through a multidisciplinary approach.

Aloha United Way partner agency YMCA’s Come With Me! is a free early learning readiness program for children ages 3 to 5, conducted onsite in income-challenged areas such as Mayor Wright Housing and Kuhio Park Terrace. The children and their caregivers are brought together to engage in a variety of interactive learning activities to ensure the children start kindergarten ready to learn. There are 13 developmental activity stations that children and their caregivers can engage in throughout their play session, focusing on language, creativity, nutrition, problem solving, fine and gross motor skills, and social interaction skills.

The Hawaii State AFL-CIO Labor Community Service Program’s O‘ahu Liaison, Lance Kamada, delivers food boxes to Ricky Tamashiro of the Masons Union, for a fellow member in need of food assistance. The Labor Community Service Program is a statewide program that works through partnerships to unite organizations, working people, and resources to build a healthier community.

Will is a two-year-old Labradoodle, training as a mobility, balance and wheelchair assistant dog. He is working with certified trainer Susan Luehrs on hitting the automatic door opener at Windward Mall. This skill will enable his handler to maneuver her wheelchair through the automatic doors when he hits the button with a verbal command. Training of certified dogs takes approximately two years of constant and consistent training and evaluations.

Buzz is a year-old yellow Labrador in training. Here, he is learning how to retrieve a card out of a bank machine. As an assistant dog, Buzz must be able to preform many tasks to help his disabled handler. Retrieving objects of all shapes and sizes is just one of the many skills Buzz must learn to become a certified assistant dog under Aloha United Way partner agency Hawaii Fi-Do. Under the ADI standards for accredited service dog programs, these specifically bred dogs must learn more than 80 commands, as well as pass health standards.

Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center’s homeless outreach worker Kahealani Poe assesses the needs of homeless families in their environment. Donations to Aloha United Way enable the center to provide more than 800 homeless people with medical care, health screenings, flu shots, first aid kits, hygiene kits, food and clothes annually. They also assist with housing, health insurance and identification.

When the Lani family faced homelessness, they turned to Aloha United Way partner agency Catholic Charities Hawai‘i (CCH) for help. Stephanie Kon, CCH’s housing and intake specialist, assisted them into affordable housing. CCH’s Housing Placement Program provided financial assistance for their first month’s rent, referrals to community resources and continues to provide ongoing case management services to ensure housing sustainability.

During her Helping Hands Hawai‘i Community Clearing House appointment, Asansa browses the warehouse for items her family needs, such as clothing and appliances and outfits for her young children. Individuals and families who are referred to this Aloha United Way partner agency receive furniture and other items free of charge.

Students at Waipahu High School participate in Domestic Violence Action Center’s iPledge Selfie campaign.

A student writes down the healthy qualities he’d want in a dating relationship. Donations to Aloha United Way help the Domestic Violence Action Center alleviate domestic abuse in Hawai‘i.

Scott and Nathan prepare a tasty barbeque chicken plate at Habilitat’s All Kine Grinds food truck in downtown Honolulu. The food truck is just one of Habilitat’s Vocational Training programs. Aloha United Way donations assist Habilitat programs in developing people who have lost hope into hardworking, responsible adults.

The American Cancer Society offers cancer patients free head coverings while they’re in treatment. Patients can make an appointment to visit the wig closet for one-on-one assistance with selecting a wig, turban, and/or scarf to help with hair loss issues. Here, Vanderla Akana selects a wig with the help of wig fitter Sharon Asato. This Aloha United Way partner agency accepts new wigs, turbans, scarves and other head coverings.

The Hawai‘i Nature Center has been a leader in environmental education in Hawai‘i since 1981. Donations to Aloha United Way help to further its mission of fostering awareness, appreciation and understanding of Hawai‘i’s environment and to encourage wise stewardship of the Hawaiian Islands by educating children with an interactive and immersive approach.

In addition to responding to disasters such as home fires and hurricanes, the American Red Cross, Hawaii State Chapter is on-call 24/7 to deliver emergency communication between military service members and their families during times of crisis. They help military families develop resiliency skills by providing pre-deployment briefings, reconnection workshops and classes to help cope with deployment. The American Red Cross also runs a Human Animal Bond Program at military hospitals. In this program, volunteers and their dogs bring comfort and joy to soldiers, families and staff through Animal Assisted Activities. Together with volunteers at Tripler Army Medical Center, Schofield Barracks, Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, and Kaneohe Bay MCBH, Hawaii Red Cross volunteers donate an average of 35,000 hours per year to our Armed Forces. Donations to Aloha United Way help the American Red Cross, Hawaii State Chapter continue these services to fulfill their mission of providing care and comfort to those in need.

Afterschool one-on-one study time and quality recreational activities are just a few of the many programs offered by Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii. Aloha United Way donations help Big Brothers Big Sisters match at-risk children with carefully screened and trained volunteer mentors.

Workers harvest vegetables from the rooftop garden training and education center at The Institute For Human Services (IHS) as a family.

As a family enjoys time with their precious child. IHS offers programs for the homeless such as health care and children’s enrichment services. More than 500 people per year receive help from IHS thanks to your donations to Aloha United Way.

A Physician at Waikiki Health’s newest service site, the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Makahiki Clinic, provides compassionate healing and expert care to a Waikiki Health patient. Support of Aloha United Way enables Waikiki Health to provide medical care as well as integrated behavioral health and comprehensive dental services that are accessible and affordable.

Waikiki Health accepts everyone, including the underinsured, uninsured and the homeless through Waikiki Health’s Care-A-Van Clinic drop-in medical service.

Waimānalo Health Center offers various services for moms-to-be, such as lactation and breastfeeding counseling. Donations help to guide moms through healthy pregnancies and their baby’s infancy. Waimanalo Health Center’s breastfeeding-friendly facility also offers private breastfeeding rooms for nursing moms.

Leilehua High School students Ethan Reibsome and Mele Ahonima-Rosario monitor audio and video as their team records host segments for Aloha United Way partner agency PBS Hawaii’s student news program, Hiki Nō. Timothy Bradley, a mentor and local media veteran, offers guidance.

Leilehua High School teacher Deena Cabralda, right, helps student Mele Ahonima-Rosario set up a shot of the school’s Peace Garden. Students and teachers from 90 public, private and charter schools participate in the statewide digital learning initiative, which offers students the opportunity to gain transferable workforce skills. Each school is paired with a media professional who mentors students and teachers during production.

Aloha United Way 2-1-1 staff members assist callers who are in need of various services. This free statewide information and referral hotline receives more than 45,000 calls annually. 2-1-1 provides referrals to more than 4,000 programs for people in need of assistance with food, rent, utilities, early childhood developmental services, health insurance and more.

Club members have basketball practice at the Hale Pono ‘Ewa Beach Clubhouse with the clubhouse youth leadership team, known as Leaders in Training (LIT). Youth leaders meet weekly to plan activities and special clubhouse events for members throughout the year. The LIT program provides teens with opportunities to mentor other youth members with various activities, including yearly sports leagues, homework, digital programs and more. Support of Aloha United Way allows The Boys and Girls Club to offer programs that encourage youth to live healthy lifestyles through various activities and programs.

Your donation to Aloha United Way supports the mission of Family Programs Hawaii in strengthening youth and families through high-quality preventive support and transition services. They provide services to prevent children from entering foster care; support children and families already involved in the foster care system; and assist youth transitioning out of foster care.

The look on the Scouts’ faces says it all: pride in their work and the feeling of accomplishment, all in a day in the life of the Boy Scouts of AMERICA, Aloha Council. The Scoutreach program allows boys to practice life skills through fun activities. Donations support the Boy Scouts of America, Aloha Council, to ensure at-risk youth have a seat at the table in their future.

Honolulu Habitat for Humanity staff and volunteers put finishing touches on a home in Waimanalo. The agency works with volunteers and partner families, helping to develop construction and home maintenance skills. Donations to Aloha United Way have helped Honolulu Habitat for Humanity complete about 75 homes for more than 400 residents on O‘ahu. The most recent completed project was five homes in Waimānalo, in collaboration with the Department of Hawaiian Homelands.

U.S. Vets’ outreach staff members encounter a homeless woman at the Kapolei Regional Park and a homeless man in a drainage canal just minutes from the Kapolei Judiciary Complex. U.S. VETS’ outreach teams routinely visit remote locations where they encounter both veterans and non-veterans in need of compassionate aid and assistance. The outreach teams provide interventions that include completion of a brief survey, provision of food, referrals to appropriate resources, as well as linkages to shelter services via a network of island-wide homeless service providers, many of whom have received critical funding from the State of Hawai‘i, the City & County of Honolulu, the VA and programs such as Aloha United Way’s Poverty Prevention Impact Funding.

The afternoon is full of energy and enthusiasm at Farrington High School as the students of T-Shirt Theatre prepare an outstanding impromptu performance. As a program of Aloha United Way agency Alliance for Drama Education for more than 27 years, The T-Shirt Theatre program has helped high school students enhance self- esteem through the arts.

A family is provided shelter and meals by volunteers at Wesley United Methodist Church, a shelter through Family Promise of Hawai‘i. They are one of four families that will stay at the church for a week while receiving these services. Donations to Aloha United Way make it possible for Family Promise of Hawaii to provide, in this case, a safe place to sleep at night.

A Goodwill volunteer assists with tax preparation. During tax preparation season, from February through March, Aloha United Way partner Goodwill Hawaii Inc. holds free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) tax clinics for tax payers who received less than $53,000. Community volunteers, including Goodwill employees, donate their time to help tax clinic participants prepare and file their taxes at no cost. Only certified VITA Tax Preparer volunteers may assist taxpayers in preparing and e-filing their taxes.

Members of the Hawaii Opera Theatre (HOT) chorus rehearse for Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman with Director Sara Widzer and Maestro John Keenan at the Opera Residency in Our Kaka‘ako. With its recent commemoration of 50 years as Hawai‘i’s only professional opera company, Aloha United Way partner agency HOT is one of the largest performing arts organizations in the state with performances and outreach presentations on every major Hawaiian island.

Late night workers at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Commissary work diligently to restock and prepare shelves for the next business day. Network Enterprise’s Inc. provides vocational rehabilitation, job training and job placement for people in Hawai‘i living with employment barriers. Donations to Aloha United Way further Network Enterprises, Inc.’s mission to assist jobseekers in enhancing self-esteem and building self-confidence that motivates them to maintain successful employment.