Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 12, Number 8, 1 August 1995 — Message from Alu Like, Inc. [ARTICLE]

Message from Alu Like, Inc.

Under fair treatment standards in HRS Chapter 84, we seek to correct inaccuracies in the June and July columns by Trustee Billie Beamer. Unfamiliarity with services provided by Alu Like has been used as opportunity to assume, write and broadcast misinformation. For 20 years Alu Like has brought federal, state and county funds in services to native Hawaiians and Hawai'i. Moneys are managed and used to conform with public laws and program regulations of fundors while also providing services to 'opio, mākua and kūpuna. In 20 years of accountability. Alu Like has passed annual federal audits and has received loeal and national recognition for exemplary projects. Two current ALI/OHA projects serve to examplify a unified effort Hawaiian organizations should be demonstrating to

benefit our people. Dedicated Alu Like workers statewide serve thousands of individuals and families annually through 16 projects: Employment Training, Moloka'i JOBS: and Offender/Exoffender; provide job counseling, training and placement to Native Americans, to welfare recipients on Moloka'i, to inmates close to parole and unemployed exoffenders, respectively. Substance Abuse Prevention: kūpuna provide counseling for prevention of substance abuse to Hawaiian offenders/exoffenders and their family members (Hawai'i, Moloka'i and O'ahu.) Ke Ola Pono No Nā Kupuna: provides daily nutrition, heahh, social and educational followup services to native Hawaiian elders 60 years and older, statewide.

Youth ATOD Prevention: provides eounseling, group and cultural activity for youth 12-17 years (Kaua'i, West Hawai'i, West Maui, Hāna and Moloka'i.) Moloka'i Youth Center: provides literacy and tutorial after school programs and supcrvised recreation to develop skill and leadership for Moloka'i youth. Native Hawaiian Drop-out Prevention Demonstration: serves youth 12-17 years old at Wai'anae and Nānākuli Intermediate and High Schools on O'ahu at risk of dropping out. Native Hawaiian Library: circulates library information resources to Hawaiians, operates after school homework centers in homestead areas and provides scholarships

for Master's degrees in library sciences (statewide). Native Hawaiian Vocational Education: funds statewide vocational education improvement projects with DOE, UH eommunity college and other community partners. (Includes: Hawai'i Computer Training Center partnership with IBM (O'ahu) and Adult Entrepreneurship Training (serving all islands). Native Hawaiian Youth Entrepreneurship: teaches juniors and seniors at Nānākuli and Hāna High Schools to start businesses. Management and Technical Assistance: provides technical assistance/ business eonūnueā on page 18

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plans to OHA's Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund applicants/recipients on Hawai'i, Moloka'i and O'ahu. Business Incubator: gives technical assistance and operating subsidies to native Hawaiianowned startup businesses with preference to Entrepreneurship and Management and Technical Assistance Project clients on O'ahu. Multi-Service Centers: five island representatives help people in need find public /private agency assistance and service, help them with applications, counsels against discouragement, enabling clients to stay with the process to address needs such as burial support, housing, rental assistance, food for children and family, tutoring services, child care, legal services, drug rehabilitation, etc. (statewide). This is the statewide Alu Like multi-service system whieh collectively served approximately 8,300 in 1994 (including 1,103 through multi-

service centers); and 8,900 in 1995 (including 1,200 through multi-service centers). Thousands of families have benefitted from services over these 20 years, including 'ohana of OHA Trustees. Providing direct services to people requires resources and moneys. These direct services exist because Alu Like successfully secures federal, state, OHA, county and private funds. We will eonūnue to pursue funds to carry out our mission, "to kōkua Hawaiian natives committed to achieving their potential." Māhalo to all who provided kako'o to Alu Like through letter, petition and physical presenee on June 27, 1995; mahalo also to the OHA Budget, Finance and Policy Committee for defeating the motion to reduce Alu Like's budget; and to the OHA Trustees who support eontinued full funding to Alu Like. by S. Haunani Apoliona, Executive Director, Alu Like