Mahalo
Mahalo to those who donated items to the 2011 Christmas Crafts Faire, Bake Sale & Silent Auction including the following: Cindee Burkitt, Matti Christiansen, Earlene Davis, Sharon Docherty, Esta Dow, John Fairbank, Ann Glen, Eva Henry, Sharon Heritage, Pūlama Kaufman, Pauline Mitterhammer, Sharon Pearson, AJ Records, Karen Rollins, Mei Shan Tanaka, Joan Terhorst, Gina Wheelwright and many others.
Howard Pearson, Treasurer of the Outreach Committee reported that a total of $2,148.50 was raised. (See related article on page 5)
‘Opūkahaʻia Scholarship Fund Offering
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Churches throughout the Hawaiʻi Conference of the United Church of Christ receive gifts for the ʻOpūkahaʻia Scholarship Fund on Sunday, February 19, 2012. ʻOpūkahaʻia died on February 17, 1818 of typhus fever. He was 26 years old.
ʻOpūkahaʻia’s story is familiar to many in our Hawaiian churches – a young Hawaiian boy fleeing wars between the aliʻi who finds himself in New Haven, Connecticut in the 1880's, alone and looking for a new life. His determination to return to Hawaiʻi with "good news" of Jesus Christ is what inspired the first mission to Hawaiʻi in 1820.
The offering is used to support pastoral leadership, especially in smaller Hawaiian churches, and to help students with seminary costs and active ministers with continuing education needs. Special offering envelopes will be provided.
Members and friends are invited to give in memory and in celebration of ʻOpūkahaʻiaʻs life and the lives of men and women entering the Christian ministry today. Mahalo!
Special Offering for Japan
Two additional letters were received from Susan M. Sanders, Administrator for the One Great Hour of Sharing, acknowledging receipt of gifts for the earthquake and tsunami relief fund for Japan. Previous gifts already sent amounted to $1,310. The two most current gifts brings the total to received from members and friends of Keawala’i Congregational Church to $3,040.00.
Dear Friends in Christ,
Thank you for your generous gift to the United Church of Christ Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund. We recorded your gift of $1,530.00 on May 19, 2011 and your gift of $200.00 on June 27, 2011.
Our hearts ache for our sisters and brothers in Japan who have been impacted by the earthquake and tsunami which struck Northeast Japan on March 11. Even Japan, a developed country with among the most sophisticated disaster preparation and response systems in the world, needs the help of its worldwide neighbors in the wake of such a disaster.
The United Church of Christ is supporting the relief response of our partners, the United Church of Christ in Japan (UCCJ) and Church World Service (CWS)
UCCJ has designated the Emmaus Center, Sendai, where Global Ministries missionary Jeffrey Mensendiek serves as youth director, as the Tohoku Disaster Relief Center. Distribution of relief materials and volunteer work teams is being coordinated through the Center.
CWS’ supported assistance to some 25,000 individuals began on March 21 and will continue through September. Work focuses on the following:
- Distribution of requested relief items through 100 evacuation centers.
- Stationary clinics and mobile medical services in Natori, Iwanuma and Rikuzentakata cities.
- Counseling services for pregnant women and women with young children to secure safe and private spaces for these women and children living in crowded evacuation sites.
You may follow the ongoing response at: ucc.org/disaster/japan-earthquake-2011/. Thank you so much for your support of Japan relief efforts.
Peace,
Susan M. Sanders, Administrator
One Great Hour of Sharing
The Local Mission Fund is a part of the Outreach Committee.
The Board has two committees: Outreach Committee and Mission Committee.
Preface
Over the years the Outreach Committee of Keawala‘i Congregational Church has sought to provide support for those in need. Such support has been provided through a number of community organizations and social service agencies including the Maui AIDS Foundation, A Keiki's Dream Program, the Maui Food Bank, Kaunoa Senior Services Center, Women Helping Women, Hospice Maui, Maui Blood Bank, Horizons Academy, The Children's Justice Center of Maui, Maui Youth & Family Services, Maui Family YMCA, and many others.
In addition support has been provided through the combined efforts of other faith communities as well as through requests received directly from individuals and families seeking assistance with health, food, clothing, housing, transportation, counseling, and other needs. Sometimes families are faced with a member's catastrophic illness. In some cases, individuals lose their jobs and are unable to find any suitable work within a reasonable amount of time.
Some families are single parent households. Other households are faced with the turmoil of substance abuse and/or domestic violence. In each instance the committee seeks to help and encourage those in need to also help themselves.
Local Networking
Since 1999 the Outreach Committee began to expand its work through a network of other local faith communities in responding to those in need. Unfortunately several network partners have either curtailed or terminated their own programs.
Efforts are underway once more to rebuild the network and establish ways in which such partnerships will increase the amount of resources that may have a more effective impact on those in need.
The Local Mission Fund
Maui, Moloka‘i, & Lāna‘i
The Local Mission Fund provides grants to benefit individuals and families in need who reside in local communities throughout Maui County. These communities include those located on the islands of Maui, Moloka‘i, and Lāna‘i. The Local Mission Fund draws the bulk of its resources through the fundraising activities of the Outreach Committee of Keawala‘i Congregational Church. These include the annual Christmas Crafts Faire, Bake Sale, & Silent Auction and at least three other fundraising events that are held throughout the year.
How the Fund Works
Request are received from a number of different sources. First, members and friends of the church may make a request on behalf of an individual or family. Second, referrals are sometimes received from community organizations, social service agencies, and other faith communities. Third, requests are sometimes received fro the persons or families in need.
The Beneficiaries
Partial or full grants are made based on the assessment of other resources that are made available to the grantee. These may include the grantee's own resources or those received from other organizations and agencies. All grants directly benefit person or persons who are in need.
Grants issued through agencies, organizations, and other faith communities are not to be used to the supportive the administrative expenses of those various groups. Grants released to and through agencies, organizations, and other faith communities and to recognized community funds established with local financial institutions located within Maui County.
Areas of Need
Grants may be issued, though not limited, to the following areas of need:
| Counseling | Housing | Elder Care |
| Legal Defense | Transportation | Food |
| Utilities | Health | Youth |
| Education | ||
How You Can Help!
There are three ways that you can help the Outreach Committee in its work. First, include the work of the committee in your prayers. Second, if you know of individuals or families in need of assistance, please share this brochure with them.
Third, you may make both monetary and material donations to the committee, including household furniture and appliances. No clothing please.
Housing Needs
To date the Outreach Committee has provided a total of $15,166.33 to individuals and families in need in communities located throughout Maui County. Of that amount over half has been in response to the need for housing or rental assistance.
The following letter was reviewed and approved by the Outreach Committee at its April 20, 2011 meeting.
April 28, 2011
Jo-Ann Ridao, Director
Department of Housing & Human Concerns
County of Maui
200 High Street
Wailuku, Maui, HI 96793
Dear Ms. Ridao:
We were made aware of your appointment as the Director to the Department of Housing & Human Concerns in an article that appeared in The Maui News on December 18, 2010. We understand you will be “responsible for managing and overseeing seven divisions within the department, including Housing, the Office on Aging, Kaunoa Senior Center, Immigration Services, Grants Management, the Volunteer Center and the Early Childhood Center.”
We read with great interest your commitment to work for the development of affordable housing. It is in the area of affordable housing that we want to convey our concerns to you.
Through the quiet work of the Outreach Committee of Keawalaʻi Congregational Church we continue to provide grants to individuals and families in need throughout Maui County. This includes residents of not only Maui but Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi.
Over the last several years we have seen a considerable increase in housing needs. In 2010 we were able to provide over 60 grants totaling around $38,000. Of that amount approximately $22,000 was approved for rent.
This included 20 grants for individuals and families in need ($15,000) and 21 grants for men and women who are in the Maui Drug Court program ($7,000).
This letter was prompted by a recent conversation with Linda Kime, our Intake Coordinator, on the growing need and the concern that our efforts, however laudable, are still a “band aid” to much wider problems - the unavailability of affordable housing, a minimum wage that appears to be inadequate, and a lack of government support for programs in the correctional system.
We have heard that families who are working at minimum wage are often unable to meet their rental commitments. It may be that rents have decreased because of the economic downturn but many are still unable to meet their commitments.
We have been told that individuals who go through the Maui Drug Court program are not provided with the financial means to meet their housing obligations. We are uncertain about what steps may be taken to ease the difficulties many in our communities face. We will continue to respond to the immediate short-term needs of those requesting rental assistance.
If there is any way that we may be supportive of your efforts, let us know. Perhaps by being advocates for policies that support the development of affordable housing, we will be able to address the long-term housing needs of the homeless. We would welcome hearing from you. Aloha.
The Rev. Kealahou C. Alika, Pastor Dave Records, Chair
Keawalaʻi Congregational Church Outreach Committee
Maui Food Bank
Each year the Outreach Committee of the church sponsors a month-long food drive in April for the Maui Food Bank. Mahalo to those of you who provided your kōkua. The following letter was received from Marlene Rice, Director of Development for the Maui Food Bank.
Dear Friends:
It is my pleasure to thank you for your recent gift of $647.63 and 516 pounds of food. We sincerely appreciate the continued support you have extended to the Maui Food Bank.
Our goal is to provide hunger relief for anyone who might be in need. With your help we are able to reach thousands of people throughout Maui County.
Currently we are serving over 11,000 people a month. This is almost double the amount of people served last year at this time. Your generosity has helped make this possible.
More than ever before working poor families, seniors on fixed income and single parents are relying on the Maui Food Bank just to survive month to month. Because of folks like you who share our vision, we are able to make sure that no one in our island ‘ohana goes to bed hungry. Thank you again for your kindness and generosity. Mahalo for all you do to help the hungry.
With warm regards,
Marlene Rice
Director of Development
Keawala’i Decal Available
Judi Pasco, a member of the Outreach Committee, reported at the July 16, 2009 meeting of the Outreach Committee that a design for a decal has been completed by graphic artist Helen Milne, a member of the church and resident of Mākena. The decal features the name of the church and its location in Mākena along with an illustration of the church. It will be dark green and white in color.
The cost per decal is $2.00
