Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 10, 1 October 1989 — Lunalilo Home begins Adopt a Kupuna program [ARTICLE]

Lunalilo Home begins Adopt a Kupuna program

To bring a little aloha to the lives of Lunalilo Home residents, general manager Gregg Meyer has begun an "adopt-a-kupuna" program. Families, individuals or youth groups are invited to share their aloha with an individual kupuna through visits or correspondence or even in day outings. While civic clubs, school groups and other organizations are regular visitors to Lunalilo Home, and most residents are often visited by their 'ohana, others have no family or are never visited, says Meyer. Meyer stresses that the program is strictly voluntary and that there is no required time eommitment. He says, "Please take an interest in them as though they were your grandparent or greatgrandparent. You ean brighten someone's life." He hopes the Hawaiian community will respond and become special friends to the kupuna at Lunalilo Home. The family of OHA Trustee Manu Kahaiali'i has already adopted two kupuna who rarely had visits before, he said. For more information on the adopt-a-kupuna program, contact Meyer at Lunalilo Home, 395-1000.