Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 18, Number 12, 1 December 2001 — Hoʻolehua center [ARTICLE]

Hoʻolehua center

On Nov. 29, Moloka'i residents and state and county officials eelebrated the completion of the new community center at Ho'olehua. Named Lanikeha Ho'olehua, meaning "plaee of dignity" or "plaee that makes one strong," the facility was welcomed by homesteaders. It replaces the dilapidated 1976 recreation center that has been closed to large social gatherings for years. The single-story, 10,250 sq. ft. building sited on seven acres fronting Farrington Avenue, provides Ho'olehua residents with a spacious community center, educational and social services, and a commercial kitchen that will assist community-based eeonomie opportunities. Tenants to be housed in the building include Pūnana Leo o Moloka'i, Alu Like Inc.'s Pono No Nā Kūpuna and Moloka'i Habi'tat for Humanity. Alu Like and Moloka'i Community Services Center will provide service to manage the center. The Department of Hawaiian Homelands developed the $3 million facility, with funding assistance was provided by OHA, the County of Maui, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development, private funders, and in-kind services donated by community members.