Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 4, 1 April 1992 — 527 Hawaiians own businesses [ARTICLE]

527 Hawaiians own businesses

by Christina Zarobe The Native Hawaiian Business Directory, a recently published listing of over 500 Hawaiian-owned businesses throughout the state, is now available at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. "The benefit of compiling this type of directory is that it provides, in a single compilation, concrete evidence of the diversity of Hawaiian entrepreneurial achievement," said Linda Colburn, officer of OHA's Eeonomie Development Division.

"I think it also provides interesting information about the kinds of areas that Hawaiians have chosen to explore as a means of achieving eeonomie independence." The directory, whieh lists 527 Native Hawaiian businesses, is 57 pages and includes a letter of support from Gov. John Waihee.

Also featured is a short resource section with information about business assistance services such as the Small Business Administration, various programs offered by the state and Alu Like, ine., and OHA's Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund. The directory, funded by OHA through a contract with Alu Like, ine., is available for piekup at OHA's Honolulu and neighbor island offices.

By assembling these businesses into one publication, Native Hawaiians are able to see not only the number of other Hawaiians operating businesses, but also the wide variety, agreed Chris van Bergeijk, eeonomie development specialist at OHA. "We hope to inform the broader community of the size and vitality of the Native Hawaiian business community," said van Bergeijk, who continued on page 6

Lunalilo from page 1

Licensed by the state Department of Health as an adult residential care home, there are currently 49 residents of Hawaiian ancestry at Lunalilo with an average age of 72 years, said the ehaimnan.

Yet at a time when the pressing issue of providing affordable care for the elderly continues to grow more serious, Lunalilo Home has ironically never been able to fill its 56 beds. Part of the dilemma lies in the image of the home, explained Ahloy. Although Lunalilo is mandated to care for indigent Hawaiians, the perception is that the conditions of the home are likewise lacking, he said.

We need to improve the facility," said Ahloy, "but our environment is just lovely out here. They care for eaeh other. It's a tremendous environment, extremely healthy. And we have honed in on what we need to do." The home's relative obscurity is another factor that works against

Lunalilo. Ahloy estimated that 90 percent of the general public under the age of 50 knows nothing about the home.

Staff members at Lunalilo number 39 along with a general manager in charge of day-to-day operations and two full-time maintenance employees. Visitors to the home include senior citizens groups and well-known entertainers. Kamehameha Schools also presents organized lectures. Residents at Lunalilo pay according to what they ean afford or are subsidized by the state Department of Social Services. But while DSS pays $850 a month, the cost of caring for a resident at Lunalilo is $2,100 per month, Ahloy pointed out.

"You ean see why funding really is critical," the chairman said, adding that officials at the home also need to hire more nursing staff and make improvements to the accounting department. Despite the struggle, however, Ahloy said he and the other staff

at the home believe strongly in the decree outlined by Lunalilo. There are over 500 adult residential care homes in Hawai'i yet only one designated for elderly Hawaiians. "We're the only ones that are active today for Hawaiians. We feel it is our obligation," Ahloy said.

Trustee Abraham Aiona, who represents Maui on the OHA board, echoed the need for Lunalilo to "broaden its base of financial support." But Aiona said

he hopes that homes similar to Lunalilo will be established on the neighbor islands to care for aging Hawaiians.

It would be niee if we could have others assisting us in developing homes on other islands," Aiona said, adding that single-sto-ry structures would be the most inviting for the elderly rather than high-rise, "warehouse" facilities. "01der people still want their independence and dignity," he said.