Kaua‘i County comes together to observe National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
Kaua‘i County Housing Agency on Nov. 10 joined community members and county officials during a special ceremony in the Mo‘ikeha Rotunda at Līhu‘e Civic Center to proclaim this week, Nov. 16-22, as National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.
The county Housing Agency also has activities planned this week to mark the observance.
Project Housing Connect — an annual outreach and awareness initiative — will host three community events this year as part of county Housing Agency’s activities marking the special observance.
Each event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.:
- Nov. 18 at Līhu‘e Salvation Army.
- Nov. 19 at Hanapēpē Salvation Army.
- Nov. 20 at All Saints Church in Kapa‘a.
National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week aims to educate the public and raise awareness about poverty and honor the many volunteers and service providers working to support those in need throughout Kaua‘i.
“Homelessness on Kaua‘i continues to be a complex challenge that requires the entire community’s support to address,” said Kaua‘i County Housing Agency’s Homeless Coordinator Farah Aquino in an announcement about the annual observance. “Food insecurity and hunger also affect many of our working-class families.”
Aquino also thanked the Housing Agency’s partners, all of whom work tirelessly to help those in need, adding, “We could not do this work without them.”
Kaua‘i County Council also joined the hardworking advocates focusing on homelessness solutions, presenting a certificate marking this week as National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.
The certificate is aimed at promoting public awareness about homelessness as a significant societal, public health, welfare and public housing shortage problem while bringing greater awareness to the problems of hunger and homelessness on Kaua‘i, throughout Hawai‘i and around the globe.
“No one should have to worry about whether there will be food on their plate or a roof over their head, but the reality is that hunger and homelessness are widespread problems that affect far too many of our island people,” says the certificate, according to a Nov. 10 post on the council’s Facebook page. “Far too many are living on the edge and are forced to choose between basic necessities of purchasing food, paying rent or going to the doctor.”
Kaua‘i Community Alliance agencies conduct outreach to individuals and encampments around the island, connecting people with essential programs and services.
The certificate also specifically called out Kaua‘i County Housing Agency for its continued efforts to tackle hunger and homelessness on the island, praising the agency for remaining dedicated to offering housing vouchers to eligible residents and expanding affordable housing around the island.
“Through ongoing collaboration with homeless service providers, the agency has successfully housed 40 households transitioning out of homelessness through the Kealaula and Lima Ola supportive housing projects, providing them with essential on-site case management,” the certificate says.
There is a network of more than 40 hunger-relief partners on the Garden Isle that distribute food through various programs throughout the year to people in need, many focused on keiki and kūpuna. (Photo Courtesy: Kukui‘ula)
Kaua‘i County Council encourages everyone to support these collective opportunities and to join the movement to end hunger and homelessness on the Garden Isle.
Contact Crystal Caday-Bargayo at 808-855-8687 for details about Project Housing Connect.
You also can reach out to Makana Kamibayashi at 808-212-0850 to learn more about Kaua‘i Community Alliance, the island’s local continuum of care, and email Aquino at faquino@kauai.gov for more information about National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.
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