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John: WELCOME BACK TO
"LIVING808".
"LIVING808" IS SPOTLIGHTING
NONPROFITS THAT MAKE HAWAI'I A
BETTER PLACE THE TODAY WE'RE
GOING TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT
THE INSTITUTE OF HUMAN SERVICES
AND A FRANCHISE WE CALLED KOKUA
HAWAI'I.
Tannya: IHS IS DEDICATED TO
HOMELESS AND SHARE ITS HISTORY
AND MISSION.
TRYING TO MAKE HAWAI'I A
BETTER PLACE AND YOU CAN HELP.
JILL WRIGHT JOINING US.
THANK YOU.
WE APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
John: IHS IS A SUPER
IMPORTANT PLACE.
YOU'RE KIND OF IN CHARGE.
OF IHS AND WHAT KINDS OF PROGRAM
DO YOU GUYS OFFER?
AT IHS, OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE
HAWAI'I A BETTER PLACE FOR ALL
OF OUR RESIDENTS INCLUDING THOSE
EXPERIENCING ON-RA ON THE VERGE OF
EXPERIENCE THE HOMELESSNESS.
MANY EXPOSED TO THAT.
OUR GOAL IS TO END HOMELESSNESS.
EVERYBODY'S SITUATION IS UNIQUE.
BUT SOME OF THE THINGS WE DO TO
HELP PEOPLE IS WE OFFER JOB
TRAINING AND JOB PLACEMENT
PROGRAMS.
WE HELP PEOPLE WITH BACK TO WORK
WARDROBES.
WE OFFER CHILDREN IN FAMILY
WE ALSO HAVE A PROGRAM FOR
PEOPLE EXPERIENCING
HOMELESSNESS.
OAHU.
WE ARE OPERATING.
400 PEOPLE PER NIGHT.
WE OFFERS MEALS, THREE MEALS A
DAY.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING
THAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IN TERMS
OF RENT IS WE OFFER RENT
SUBSIDY.
John: WOW.
YOU DO MORE THAN PEOPLE
REALIZED.
HOW DID IHS COME INTO EXISTENCE?
YEAH.
IHS WAS FOUNDED BY ONE
INDIVIDUAL.
FATHER CLAUDE.
ON HIS 58TH BIRTHDAY.
HE WAS A RECOVERING ALCOHOLIC.
AND I THINK HE REALIZED THAT
PEOPLE DON'T NEED TO BE DEFINED
BY THEIR SITUATION.
AND WANTED TO MAKE CHANGE.
HE STARTED ON THE STREETS OF
CHINATOWN.
HE OFFERED THEM COFFEE AND
CONVERSATION.
AND IT KIND OF TOOK OFF.
THROUGH A NETWORK OF VOLUNTEERS,
PEOPLE STARTED ENGAGING.
HERE WE ARE 42 YEARS LATER.
WE NOW HAVE A STAFF OF OVER 200
INDIVIDUALS.
AGAIN IT WAS DESIGNED TO END
HOMELESSNESS.
John: I WANT TO KNOW HOW
32 YEARS.
I'LL SURE THE DEMO CHANGED AND
NEEDS EINVOLVED QUITE A BIT OVER
THE YEARS.
YEAH.
IT'S EVOLVING AS WE SPEAK.
THE ECONOMIC REALITY WE'RE IN
NOW MEANS THAT PEOPLE ARE
SEEKING HELP FOR THE FIRST TIME
IN THEIR LIVES.
IT COULD BE YOU OR ME.
THE HOMELESSNESS ON OAHU IS
WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THIS COVID
MOMENT IS MORE PEOPLE NEEDING
HELP.
ONE TREND IN THE PAST COULD
YEARS IS MORE KUPUNA THAT ARE IN
NEED OF SERVICES.
12% OF OAHU'S ADULTS.
THERE IS SOME GOOD NEWS.
IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, FAMILY
HOMELESSNESS DECLINED BY 43%.
THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP OF A LOT
OF AGENCIES.
ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER TO
FOCUS ON FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN
ESPECIALLY WE NEED THAT CHILDREN
THAT GROW UP IN HOMELESS ARE
LIKELY TO BECOME HOMELESS.
WE WANT TO END THE HOMELESSNESS.
John: THERE ARE STILL A LOT
OF PEOPLE THAT NEED HELP.
AND FOR PEOPLE THAT NEED HELP,
YOU NEED HELP TO HELP THEM,
VOLUNTEERS.
CAN YOU TELL ME THE WORK THAT
VOLUNTEERS DO.
HOW HAS THIS PANDEMIC AFFECTED
ALL OF THAT?
YEAH.
VOLUNTEERS ARE AT THE CORE OF
OUR MISSION.
THE HEART AND SOLE OF THE WORK
WE DO.
WE STARTED OUT AS A VOLUNTEER
ORGANIZATION AND THRIVE ON THE
WORKING OF OUR VOLUNTEERS.
OPPORTUNITIES TO GET INVOLVED.
FOLKS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN
VOLUNTEERS YOU CAN FIND AN
APPLICATION ON OUR WEBSITE OR
E-MAIL OUR COORDINATOR.
VOLUNTEER @IHS HAWAI'I.ORG.
YOU CAN VOLUNTEER FROM HOME OR
COME INTO OUR SHELTERS AS WELL.
John: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
BEING WITH US ON "LIVING 808."
I APPRECIATE IT.
WE'VE GOING TO HAVE ALL YOUR
INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE
SHORTLY AFTER THE SHOW.
ALSO, HOW FOLKS CAN HELP AND GET
INVOLVED.
IF THEY'VE GOT ANY QUESTIONS
ABOUT VOLUNTEERING, WE'LL HAVE
THAT ON OUR WEBSITE AS WELL.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
John: YOU KNOWS, SOMETIMES
YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT IT, BUT
THEY NEED HELP, TOO.
Tannya: AND THIS IS SUCH AN
ISSUE.
A WA LOT OF THEM, THE --ED NOT WHAT
YOU THINK.
SO MANY DIFFERENT FACES OF THIS.
THEY CERTAINLY DO NEED THE HELP.
GLAD TO BE AARON -- ABLE TO SHINE A
LIGHT ON NONPROFITS.
John: CALLED KOKUA HAWAI'I.