First Year Results of Housing First Study / Citypak; Free Community Holiday Dinner; Rapid ‘Ohi’a Death; Rizal Day
First Year Results of Housing First Study / Citypak: Jack Barile and Ron Kaplan
To counter chronic homelessness, many experts around the country say two words: Housing First. Back in September we spent a week talking with many of them and Hawaii’s mayors about homelessness and Housing First. Meanwhile, Honolulu’s Institute of Human Services was in its first year of a project to test Housing First. The final report is now complete and was delivered to the City yesterday. UH assistant professor Jack Barile is the lead author and he joined The Conversation to walk us through the report. Also this week, Chicago nonprofit Citypak has been in the islands distributing backpacks specifically created with the needs of homeless people in mind. Citypak co-founder Ron Kaplan joined the show via phone from Maui to talk about the organization’s efforts.
- Intro Music: Frosty The Snowman by The Ventures
- Outro Music: Sunshine in the Rain by Ryan Farish
Free Community Holiday Dinner: Thomas Daubert
The Christmas holiday is presented to us in popular culture and is often best enjoyed as a celebration of friends and family. It can be lonely for those whose friends and family are not around, though, and community organizations around the state have planned gatherings with that thought in mind. Anaina Hou is a 16-acre Community Park in Kilauea, Kaua’i which will host a Christmas dinner to which all are invited, and Thomas Daubert of Anaina Hou joined the show to talk about how this new tradition came together. The Free Community Holiday Dinner takes place at Anaina Hou Community Park from 4:00 to 6:00pm on Christmas Day.
- Intro Music: A Calf Born in Winter by Khruangbin
- Outro Music: My Hawaiian Christmas by Dennis Kamakahi
This year has not been a good one for Hawaii Island ‘Ohi’a trees. As we’ve talked about before, a new disease has been quickly killing hundreds of thousands of them and that’s likely been exacerbated by the movement of people and vehicles, as well as the mutation of the disease itself. Later today, several federal and state departments including land and natural resources and agriculture will hold a meeting about ‘Ohi’a death. For those who have been sounding the alarm since summer that the disease could easily wipe out Hawaii’s ‘Ohi’a, it’s welcome news they wish could have come sooner. Rob Hauff is a forester with DLNR’s Division of Forestry & Wildlife who will be presenting at the meeting. Rob works on protecting Hawaii’s forests from wildfire, pests, diseases, and invasive species. He’s currently working with other agencies to coordinate efforts related to rapid ‘Ohi’a death.
- Intro Music: Coloring Silence by Ryan Farish
- Outro Music: Living Water by Ryan Farish
Jose Rizal, the 19th-century Filipino writer and activist who rebelled against Spanish colonial rule in his homeland, was the kind of man whose capacity to inspire makes him a threat to those in power. He was executed by the Spanish on December 30th, 1896… a day that has become a national holiday in the Philippines and one that is celebrated by Filipino communities worldwide. The Maui Filipino Community Council is marking the occasion this weekend, and Rick Nava, a member of the Maui Filipino Community Council, joined the show to talk about the legacy of the hero. The Rizal Day Celebration Awards and Installation Dinner will be held on Sunday, December 27th at The Binhi At Ani Filipino Community Center in Kahului.
- Intro Music: Himig by Florante Aguilar
- Outro Music: Pagbabago? by Asin
