Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 26, Number 9, 1 September 2009 — SWEET HOME [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SWEET HOME

By Usa Asato Public lnfurmatiun Specialist Ateam of OHA volunteers traded their computers and cubicles for hammers and hard hats recently - all to help a Hawaiian family realize its dream of owning a new home. The dream for a new home started with the family's patriarch, Edward Lani Spencer, who died three years ago, at a time when he and four members of his family were living in a run-down, termite-eaten twobedroom home in the Hawaiian homestead area of Papakōlea, in the shadow of Punchbowl on O'ahu. "He would have loved this 'cause he knew the condition of the house was really bad," said Cathy Ha'o, Spencer's daughter, who was bom and

raised in the home, whieh was torn down in February to make room for a new four-bedroom home. "He always wanted us to be able to rebuild." The labor of love took plaee Aug. 14 as part of Honolulu Habitat for Humanity's annual Build-a-Thon, whieh raises money and awareness for the organization that builds homes for families in need through volunteer labor and tax-deductible donations of money and materials. All seven Hawai'i affihates statewide participated in the event. OHA's participation involved sending a crew of 19 and donating $5,000 to Honolulu Habitat for Humanity. "I feel lucky that we get to help this family," said OHA's Keola Lindsey, who was helping to build a temporary wall in anticipation of the

roof trusses that were to arrive later in the day. Speaking of the Ha'o family, he said, "They're really the ones that have done all of the hard work - they've had to give back to Habitat the 250 hours (of sweat equity), so it feels good that were helping people that helped other people." Housing is "something that everybody is worried about these days," he added, "so hopefully it's one less family that has to worry about where they're going to get dry when it's wet and warm when it's cold. That feels good." Stephanie Kon, who works in OHA's Heahh and Human Services Hale, agreed, saying: "It's just been niee for all of us together doing something meaningful for the family. That's a good thing."

Working in the conrmunity is what Ierome Yasuhara liked about volunteering. "Collaboration is really what Hawaiians need to do," he said, in between perfomiing prep work, framing and clearing the work area to keep it safe. "Work together - lōkahi. This is part of what our rnission's about." Site supervisor Miek Ferreira said the OHA volunteers were "really helping us get to where we need to be," by doing everything from priming lumber for window trims and floor joists to sorting wood and nails for recychng. "I want to make it a learning experience for the people coming out here," he said. "My job is to task them within their abilities and . . . have them learn something and send them away with a new skill." On the carport, Lei-Ann Durant,

Melissa Beimes and Kaui Daunie were giving new meaning to the phrase, "We're doing oiu nails." Sorting nails by size and weeding out the bad ones, they described their constmction skills as "Zero!" "Zero!" "Inexperienced!" But they all agreed and they would do it again. "I think it's amazing," said Diuant. "It's good to know that we're doing something good for our beneficiaries outside the office." Daunie said everyone should volunteer for the project at least onee. "It lets people know that OHA does care about the conununity and it makes us realize how mueh our beneficiaries need our help, not only from the office but also in physical labor." lean Lilley, executive director of Honolulu Habitat for Humanity, said her affiliate is in the process of

helping six families, five of whieh are homesteaders. Two of the families were awarded leases by the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for new undivided interest properties in Waimānalo, she said. The home process started for Ha'o about two years ago when she attended a mandatory meeting to learn about the program. She met all the requirements, including ineome level and having property, she said. Besides herself, her new home will house her 14-year-old son Matthew, who is a freshman at nearby Roosevelt High, her brother Reno Spencer, and her niom, Victoria. Lilley said living situations that involve extended, multigenerational famihes are becoming more eommon with the families it helps, and that

trend has opened doors to new sources of funding. "It's been to our benefit because there are grants available to us for families who are providing homes for elderly people, for their kupuna. There are also (grants for) disabilities as well ... so we're finding that our granters are really excited about the fact that our families are expanded." OHA's support of the statewide Hawai'i Habitat for Humanity has included a $1.5 million grant over five years, whieh helps 15 families a year receive $20,000. OHA also provided a team for this year's Build-a-Thon and has an ongoing partnership with the organization through a revolving loan, Lilley said, adding, "Our state support organization received a grant from OHA and they set it up as a revolving loan fund, so, for example, as (homeowner) Cathy (Ha'o) makes her mortgage payments, . . . a certain part of those mortgage payments go into this revolving loan from OHA, and we ean get more grants later down the road as it rebuilds." "OHA has been a blessing for us in more than just one way," she said. The home is expected to be eompleted in early November. For Reno Spencer, Ha'o's brother who will be living in the new house and who has been working on site since the project began, the house was coming along beautifully, and he was grateful for the volunteers who have been coming out to help the family and to OHA. "Anytime people donate a lot of money to help you out, you feel grateful and maybe in some sense indebted," especially when a lot of people are struggling in a tough economy, he said. His only regret was that his dad wouldn't get to see the new house. "That was one of his wishes," Spencer said, taking eomfort in the thought that he was still around in spirit and was watching the house progress from above. The previous home was 60 years old and in such dire condition, he said, that "every night before we went to bed, we'd ask ourselves, 'Is this house going to last another day?' "So to see a house like this being built - a lot of work and a lot of sweat and people's time and effort went into building this house," he said. "We're very grateful." ■

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At home on ū construction site because of past home-building experience, Leah toiws. ūide to OHA Trustee Colette Mūchūdo, works ū circulor sūw.

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Left: īeom OHA with Honolulu Hobitot for Humanity leaders and volunteers and homeowner Cūthy Hū'o and her brother Reno Spencer.

Above: Leatrice Kauahi, 0HA's Lead Advocate for Housing, presents ū $5,000 eheek to Jean Lilley, executive director of Honolulu Hūbitūtfor Humanity, with homeowner Cūthy Hū'o and her brother, Reno. The siblings will be living in the new home with their mother, Victoria, and Ha'o's son, Matthew. - Photos: LisoAsoto