Ka‘ū News Briefs Monday, January 1, 2018

Abandoned nets and trash collected by Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund employees and volunteers at Kamilo. A volunteer day at Waiohinu Transfer Station will be held on Sunday, Jan 14 to load nets previously gathered from the shoreline into a container to ship out to burn for electriciy. See event lising below.  Photo from Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund taken by Angie Metriyakool of Luu Kai Photography

THE ‘O KA‘Ū KĀKOU WALK FOR SENIOR HOUSING TO BE BUILT IN NĀ‘ĀLEHU begins Tuesday At the 36.5 mile marker in Honoka`a, as the organization's president Wayne Kawachi walks 100 miles down the Hamakua and Hilo Coast, across Puna to Volcano and Kaʻū in his rubber slippers to raise money to buy property for the project. The four-day walk of about 20 to 28 miles per day is expected to go through Friday, Jan. 5 with Kawachi staying overnight along the way, as he travels in slippers from Honoka`a to Nā'ālehu. According to Nadine Ebert, of OKK, "Wayne’s progress on the walk can be tracked on our website okaukakou.org through a GPS tracking system."

Kawachi shows his rubber slippers that will carry him from Honoka`a to Na`alehu to raise money for senior housing. Image from YouCare video.

     In a film on YouCaring, a fundraising website, Kawachi says, "I love ʻO Kaʻū Kākou because it's doing things that I personally like to do, which is helping the elders, helping the young ones. It's helping everybody and whatever comes up as a problem or something we can do to help the community, we are there to help it."
       Regarding the plans to build senior housing, he said, "I'm excited about this project, I'm training, it's going to be done and I need your kokua." He said he will personally donate $10 a mile toward the fundraiser and asked others to chip in. "ʻO Kaʻū Kākou," proclaimed Kawachi. "We are Ka`u!"     
     The film notes that of the 194,190 residents in Hawai`i County, an estimated 17 percent are 65 and older. "There are only two senior housing projects in all of Ka`u. At this rate, our kupuna may not have a place to live."
     The goal is to raise $250,000  toward the purchase of 1.9 acres on the makai said of Hwy 11 at the site of the old Nā‘ālehu Fruit Stand. The idea is to build 25 to 30 units of senior housing on the property now owned by Asha Mallick who has offered it to the community organization at a discount. To make a donation to support Kawachi's quest, see okaukakou.org or www.facebook.com/okaukakou.
     As of Jan. 1 about $25,000 had been committed to the project, according to OKK members who are hoping for $50,000 by the end of Kawachi's walk.
     In addition to monetary support, those interested who are senior citizens can fill out a survey form. ʻO Kaʻū Kākou is asking seniors, over the age of 62 and living anywhere in the Kaʻū district, to fill out a quick, five-question survey to help OKK gather general data essential to the planning for the senior housing project in Nā'ālehu.
    The deadline to complete the survey is Feb. 1. OKK member Raylene Moses, who is spearheading the senior housing project, said the survey should take no more than five minutes. "The data will help to demonstrate a demand for senior housing," added Moses.  For more information and to receive a survey contact Raylene Moses at 365-3788 or Nadine Ebert at 938-5124 or ebertn004@hawaii.rr.com. For more call Kawachi at 937-4773.
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