Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 3, Number 7, 1 July 1986 — "Victory of the Human Spirit" [ARTICLE]

"Victory of the Human Spirit"

Renewed Hope Marks Maililand's First Birthday

It was happy first birthday May 22 for more than 200 residents of Maililand at the project site across from the Maili Elementary School where former "beach people" at Kahe Beach Park have turned a bleak future into a promising and better life. "We are observing our first anniversary on. this day because it was just about this time of day exactly one year ago that the good people of Sacred Heart Church in Waianae showed compassion for their fellow human being and donated this land. We thank them very mueh," said the Rev. Lei Sexton, pastor of Na Kokua Ministries in brief remarks to the former homeless people, invited guests and officials at a program marking the occasion. There were several other speakers who also spoke , briefly and the person who perhaps best summed up the achievement of the project residents was Vicky Bunye, director of the City and County of Honolulu's Departmei t of Human Resources, who said simply that "Maililand is a victory of the human spirit." There was mueh to celebrate because residents who occupy the 67 units have not stood still since moving into the project last year when formal dedication ceremonies were held Nov. 29. A lot has happened in the six short months since they moved from the beaches to respectable living quarters. T nese people, a majority of them Hawaiians, still had no 1 ope for jobs and a better future. They did, however, escape the elements and poliee harassment and they also did something in other situations like: • Being involved in a job training program as a means to becoming self-sufficient. • Attending programs covering motivation and selfima.je, counseling, food eo-op, child care and academic

tutoring. • Pride in their "temporary" homes by establishing their own security and maintenance program, keeping the grass cut and graffiti off the white paint. Maililand Ohana ine. is a task force whieh was formed May 22, 1985 to have more than a plaee (p live for the homeless. This non-profit organization includes representatives of the Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, the Hawaii Coalition for the Homeless and interested members of the community. They have given the project a five-year commitment. Members are: • The Rev. John Doherty, who is with the Newman Center at the University of Hawaii and represents the Hawaii Catholic Diocese. • Theola Silva, deputy director of the Honolulu Community Action Program, Waianae branch, and long time active in many community functions. • Sherry Money, a job counselor and youth coordinator for Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Waianae. • Evange!ine (Tiny) Joseph, active in many eommunity groups and a religious education teacher for 17 years. Currently with the "Women in Transition" program. • Rev. Sexton, pastor of Na Kokua Ministries and program coordinator for Maililand Ohana. They were all singled out and recognized at the birthday bash. Also recognized were Del and Gale Urbanczyk, owners of Superior Homes of Hawaii ine. in Campbell Industrial Park. The eouple recently put 10 of the residents, all of them Hawaiian or part Hawaiian, on the payroll. Urbanczyk, a former T exas building contractor, said: " We wanted to put people in work who wanted to work and these people have been absolutely fantastic. We are

so pleased with their performance, enthusiasm, attitude and attendance." There are other success stories like attending classes tutored by volunteers from the Newman Center and having three adults in the Hawaii Literacy program, 25 receiving job training and three who have graduated from the project into their own homes. Mrs. Joseph herself took the eue and went out to get her Graduate Equivalency Degree (GED) after dropping out of school 45 years ago. She currently is taking college courses at Leeward Community College and works at Maililand. Mrs. Joseph, a Maili resident for 29 years, has five children who graduated from Waianae High School. Together they have given her 20 grandchildren and two great grandsons. Another highlight at the party was the unveiling and awarding of the Most Rev. Bishop Joseph Ferrario perpetual trophy whieh went to resident Damien Perez, one of the Superior Homes workers, as the outstanding achiever of the month. The trophy must be won twice during the year with the winner qua!ifying for an even bigger trophy as super achiever. The unveiling and installation of Maililand's board of directors was handled by Rollie Smith, director of the Office for Social Ministry and Catholic Charity. Framed certificates for outstanding contribution to the project were also given to Bunye and the Rev. Frank Diffley, pastor of Sacred Heart Church who was recently appointed regional superior of the Maryknoll Fathers in Hawaii. He succeeds the Rev. Lawrence Vaughan on Oct. 1. Entertainment was provided by Kumu Hula Nettie Armitage and her Halau Hula O Malamalama.