People Who Made a Difference

Keolahou Hawaiian Congregational Church’s food pantry

People

difference who made a

Kurt Suzuki

Nominated by the people of Maui for 2017

The Maui News MATTHEW THAYER photos

Wailuku Clean & Safe Mary Dungans and Mana‘olana Pink Paddlers

A Supplement of THE MAUI NEWS – Monday, December 25, 2017 – Page T1

Joyce Afalla

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People who made a difference, past and present 2017: Joyce Afalla; Mary Dungans and Mana‘olana Pink Paddlers; Lawrence Kauha‘aha‘a and Wailuku Clean & Safe; Keolahou Church Food Pantry in north Kihei volunteers; Kurt Suzuki. (5) 2016: Holoholo Bookmobile: Sara Foley, Dorothy Tolliver and Susan Werner; Wesley Lo; Don McLeish; Na Hoaloha; Craig Okita and Dean Yamashita. (5) 2015: A Cup of Cold Water; Magdalena Bajon; Judge Joseph E. Cardoza; Bo Mahoe; Betty Ventura. (5) 2014: Capt. Timi Gilliom and members of Hui o Wa‘a Kaulua; Hui O Na Wai Eha; SPCA Maui volunteers; Scottie Zucco; Gina Marzo. (6) 2013: Maui ranchers and farmers breeding moths to fight the invasive Madagascan fireweed; West Maui Kumuwai; Mervin “Uncle Merv” Dudoit; Dennis Burns and Suzanne Burry; Jack Breen. (6)

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Maui Outdoor Circle. (9)

No shortage of inspiration Maui has an abundance of good people doing good deeds

By LEE IMADA Managing Editor

The holiday season ushers in a time of giving, hope and joyousness. It is a time to reflect on the bounty we have and on those less fortunate whom we want to share in the joy of the season. Amid the turbulence and conflict across the country and around the world, the mantra “Peace on Earth” seems ever more relevant.

The five 2017 “People Who Made A Difference” highlight all that is good in our Maui County community. They bring joy, hope and assistance to those in need not because they have to but because they want to. Altruism is part of their souls.

In the coming pages you will read about Joyce Afalla, Mary Dungans and Mana‘olana Pink Paddlers, Lawrence Kauha‘aha‘a and Wailuku Clean & Safe Program, Volunteers with the Keolahou Church Food Pantry in north Kihei and Kurt Suzuki.

It’s unfortunate that we had to cut the list off at five because the Rescue Tube Committee and Rotary Club of Kihei-Wailea, which

worked out the details and raised funds to put up rescue tubes at county beaches for the good of oceangoers, and James Presbitero, who brings joy to neighbors of children with his Da Maui Sleigh, just missed the cut.

In all, The Maui News received almost 25 nominations this year.

The five People Who Made A Difference were selected by a vote of The Maui News staff, a practice since the inception of the feature in 1994.

For most of its run, People Who Made A Difference has been published on New Year’s Eve, beginning on the front page.

It moved to Christmas Day in 2013 and became a Christmas tabloid in 2015.

People Who Made A Difference is the brainchild of Christie Wilson, a former Maui News city editor and the current features editor at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, with the support of then-Editor David Hoff, now retired.

The feature began by naming newsmakers who made a difference, and not always in a “good” way. Eventually, People Who Made A Difference evolved to

recognize good people for good deeds, often outside the spotlight of the media.

Through the years, more than 200 Maui County men and women have been recognized, from Masuru “Pundy” Yokouchi in the first year in 1994 to the forces behind the purchase of the Holoholo Bookmobile for the state library system, Sara Foley, Dorothy Tolliver and Susan Werner, in 2016

While there is so much focus on our differences, ourselves and our individual voices and anger and condescension in our discourse, the members of The Maui News 2017 People Who Made A Difference speak with their selfless actions. Aside from Suzuki, the others in this class are not recognizable names. They quietly go about their business, helping those in need, offering a salve and glue that keep our community whole and together.

They are an inspiration and role models for us all.

■ Lee Imada can be reached at 2012: Rotary Club of Lahaina, leeimada@mauinews.com Rick Cowan and the Maui Friends of the Library; Maui Economic Development Board; Term Care Partnership. (10) and the Kalama Park Action Pualani Enos; Dr. William KeArchie Kalepa; Andrea ManiaTeam; Omaopio-Pulehu Neighpler; Phyllis McOmber; Brian go; Fred Ruge. (7) bors; Lisa Texeira; Virginia Moto; Darrell Tanaka and Brian 2006: Lillian Murakami; Maui County firefighters; Jo-Ann Ri- Brown and the 411th Battalion 2011: Keith Regan and Lynn Yoshikawa. (9) dao; Bob and Lis Richardson; Araki-Regan; Steve Colflesh, 2008: John Cadman; Val Vines the Feline Foundation of Maui; Family Readiness Group.(12) Albert Paschoal and Mike Ka2003: Alex Baker; Dale Bonar Magee; Maui Police Departhale; volunteers with the Lanai ment juvenile investigators; Tim Brian Yoshikawa; Dorvin and and Maui Coastal Land Trust; Native Species Recovery Proj- Ellison, Ben Tolentino and Pol- Betty Leis; DeGray Vanderbilt. Blossom Feiteira, Kehaulani (10) ect; Brian Kohne; Janna Filimoe‘atu and Hawaii Comli’s Mexican Restaurant; Kent Hoehn; Dr. Melvin Burton; Hon- Smith and Hilton Unemori; Joe 2005: Dennis Ishii; Maui Police munity Assets; Auriol and Ed okowai Kauhale residents. (10) Pluta and West Maui Improve- Department Lahaina Patrol Flavell; Jane Kaleikini; Nick 2010: Spencer Shiraishi, Kenji ment Foundation; Aloha House Specialized Unit; Maui Fire De- Krau; Sam Millington; Lisa partment; Kahekili Terrace Res- Schattenburg-Raymond and Kawaguchi, Garner Ivey and Crisis Mobile Outreach team; ident Patrol; Byron Ooka. (5) Warren Shimabukuro; Jon and David “Buddy” Nobriga. (12) Maui Nui Botanical Gardens.

Maile Viela; Joanne and Larry (13) 2007: Dr. Lee Miyasato, Dr. 2004: Maui Police Department Laird; Keola Eharis Rogat and Chris Neal and Dr. Ronald Juvenile Section; Kula Commu- 2002: Jan Dapitan; Pat and Richard “Noosh” Nishihara; Boyd, Maui Memorial Medical nity Association; Anna Palomi- Richard Endsley; Bernard Phoenix Dupree and 16 other Center stroke specialists; no; police officer Joshua “Lono” Kalawaia Kaina; Lanai residents. (12) Ke‘eaumoku and U‘ilani Kapu; Haglan and Capt. Charles Hira- Matthew Lopez; Maui County 2009: Lance Collins and David Randy Awo, Hokulani Holt; Save ta; Clifford Nae‘ole; Community Charter Commission; Barry Gierlach; Lehua Park Cosma; Honolua Coalition; Maui Long Prosecutor Jerrie Sheppard Shannon and Kathy Collins; A Supplement of THE MAUI NEWS – Monday, December 25, 2017 – Page T2

2001: David Garner; Vernon Gosney; Christina Hemming; Paul Kauhane Luuwai; Art Medeiros; Fred Rohlfing and Madge Schaefer; Rick Rutiz; South Maui Citizens patrol. (9) 2000: Willie Nelson; Frank Sinenci; Turtle Patrol volunteers; Maui Police Department Visitor Oriented Policing Unit; Lynn Araki; Chris Cowan and the Maui Arts & Cultural Center staff; Boyd Kleefisch; Judy and David Mikami. (10) 1999: Alliance for the Heritage of East Maui; Dana Naone Hall and Isaac Hall; Kalama Intermediate Student Council; Ryan Luskin; Ken Nakayama and the Molokai High School baseball team; Roy Tokujo and ‘Ulalena; Mercer “Chubby” Vicens. (10) 1998: Akaku: Maui Community Television staff and producers; Kim Ball; Cynthia Conrad; Jerry Labb; Amy Hanaiali‘i Gilliom and Willie K.; David Goode; Barbara Knoeppel; Diane Lee; Linda Lingle; Charles Kauluwehi Maxwell Sr. (11) 1997: Lt. Charles Hirata and DUI Task Force; Leonard “Bully” Kapahulehua; Brian McCafferty; Randy Morton; Wes Friewald; Cathrine Puahala; Barry Rivers. (8) 1996: Hannah Bernard; Holy Ghost Bread Ladies; Curt Hodge; Buck Joiner; Judges Boyd Mossman, E. John McConnnell and Shackley Raffetto; Sandra Shawhan. (8) 1995: Aimee Anderson; Alan Arakawa; Mike Boughton; Mary Evanson; Greg Davis; Yvonne Friel; Keali‘i Reichel; Ernie Rezents; Susan Scofield. (9) 1994: Dr. Noa Emmett Aluli; Dr. Bobby Baker; Virgie Cantorna; Shay Chan; Walter Dodds Jr.; Everett Dowling; Kaui Doyle; Ian and Marc Hodges; Charles Jencks; Anthony Ranken; Dr. Rick Sands; Joseph Sugarman; Art Vento; Masaru “Pundy” Yokouchi. (15)

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By SARAH RUPPENTHAL For The Maui News

Every now and then, while Joyce Afalla is out running errands, someone will tap her on the shoulder, throw their arms around her and say “thank you.” These encounters are not out of the ordinary, but even so, Afalla is often surprised.

“Sometimes it’s a person I helped a long time ago,” she said. “I can’t believe they remember me.”

But for many, Afalla is impossible to forget.

Since 1992, she’s worked as a case manager for the Maui branch of the state Department of Human Services’ Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division. Afalla sees every client as a person — not a case number. She will lend a compassionate ear to anyone who comes into her office, and if it’s needed, she won’t hesitate to connect that person to housing, medical, mental health or crisis intervention services.

“When I walk to work in the morning, I pray that everyone I encounter throughout the day will be treated with respect,” she said.

“Everyone deserves to be treated with respect.”

Afalla’s kindheartedness isn’t limited to her day job. She works a 7:45 a.m.-to-4:30 p.m. shift five days a week, but still makes time to help others outside of the State Building.

“Sometimes, you can’t give money, but you can give time,” she said. “And if it matters to you, you make the time.”

Among other things, Afalla is a Sunday school and confirmation teacher at Ala Lani Methodist Church in Kahului (where she also sings in the choir); an active member of the Maui Filipino Working Group and Organizing for Action (OFA); precinct secretary for the

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Joyce Afalla A giving heart

The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

Joyce Afalla has worked as a case manager for the Maui branch of the state Department of Human Services’ Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division since 1992, connecting clients to housing, medical, mental health or crisis intervention.

Maui Democratic Party; vice president of United Methodist Women’s Maui group; and vice president (she previously served as president) of the Maui chapter of Faith Action for Community Equity (FACE), a grass-roots, faith-based, nonprofit organization that works to combat poverty and injustice statewide.

And that’s just her current slate of undertakings. Over the years, she’s served on a number of boards and committees and has racked up countless volunteer hours. Afalla’s volunteer work has run the gamut from serving meals to the homeless

to using puppets to teach kids in a remote West Samoan village.

Afalla grew up surrounded by acts of kindness.

“Volunteering wasn’t something you consciously planned to do — it was just something you did,” she said.

The daughter of a Methodist pastor (who was one of the first clergymen to be recruited from the Philippines), Afalla was born in Kansas, raised on Hawaii island, and moved to Maui when she was in middle school. She graduated from Baldwin High School in 1969, and over the

next two decades, divided her time between Hawaii and California.

In 1992, she returned to Maui to care for her ailing mother, and soon after, became active with the Ala Lani Methodist Church’s youth ministry. It wasn’t long before people began to take notice of her selfless nature and jovial disposition.

A few years later, a fellow congregant asked her to join the board of directors of Na Hoaloha (“loving friends”), a nonprofit organization established by Sister Roselani Enomoto to help Maui’s seniors remain independent and out of long-

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term institutional care. Na Hoaloha now pairs volunteers with seniors or people with disabilities ages 18 to 60 who need assistance with daily tasks. Afalla was on the board for nearly a decade; she also served as board president.

Around the same time, she completed a domestic violence prevention training program through the Filipina Rural Project. She went on to work with staff at several local churches, teaching them how to spot the signs of domestic violence and respond accordingly.

In 2007, FACE co-founder the Rev. Stan Bain paid a visit to Kahului to train community leaders for the organization’s new Maui chapter — and Afalla was among the recruits. She says the mission of FACE resonates deeply.

“We give a voice to those who can’t speak,” she explained.

Afalla’s foray into civic activism began in high school when she circulated petitions to change the voting age from 21 to 18. Since then, she’s become an ardent social justice advocate, lobbying for immigrant rights, affordable housing and other civil and human rights issues through FACE. Afalla has an ever-expanding list of things she’d like to do in the coming years. Among them are delivering hot soup to the unsheltered homeless and installing water stations for the dogs that pass by the Ala Lani Methodist Church on their daily walks.

“There’s always something you can do to make a difference,” she said. “Helping others fills your heart with so much joy. And you never know what seeds you can plant — you just never know.”

To learn more about FACE or to inquire about donor or volunteer opportunities, visit www.face hawaii.org.

Congratulations to the “People Who Made a Difference” Your voice was heard!

WE ARE YOUR MEDIA RESOURCE ON MAUI www.AKAKU.ORG A Supplement of THE MAUI NEWS – Monday, December 25, 2017 – Page T3

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By SARAH RUPPENTHAL For The Maui News

When Alohalani Eldredge flew to Las Vegas for a family vacation a few weeks ago, she didn’t forget to pack her cellphone charger. As she ate brunch at her hotel on a late Friday morning, she couldn’t help but glance at the screen of her fully charged phone every few seconds.

“I knew everything would be fine while I was gone, but I couldn’t stop myself from checking,” she laughed.

Eldredge is the co-chair of Keolahou Hawaiian Congregational Church’s food pantry, which is operated by the church in partnership with the Maui Food Bank and other Kihei churches. Eldredge (who is also the church’s secretary) and fellow co-chair Janice Cohen oversee the program, which distributes more than a week’s worth of meals to homeless and food-insecure individuals and families in South Maui every Friday morning.

Eldredge and Cohen care deeply for the people they serve — neither can take a vacation or sick day without wondering if their clients have enough to eat. Regular clientele come twice a month (three times if a month has five Fridays) to pick up food, and if they miss a day, Eldredge notices.

“If I don’t see someone for a while, I start to worry,” she said.

Founded in 1994 by Keolahou Church congregant Carolyn Nichols, the food pantry began with a handful of clients and a small utility closet full of canned goods.

Over the years, the need grew — and so did the program. Today, it distributes food to nearly 80 South Maui families every week, often more during the holidays and summer months.

Every Friday morning, a crew of volunteers sets up tables —

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Keolahou Church food pantry Serving up hope with nearly two dozen volunteers

The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

Alohalani Eldredge is the co-chair of Keolahou Hawaiian Congregational Church’s food pantry, which is operated by the church in partnership with the Maui Food Bank and other Kihei churches.

She and Janice Cohen oversee the program, which distributes more than a week’s worth of meals to homeless and food-insecure individuals and families in South Maui every Friday morning. The volunteer program, founded in 1994 by Keolahou Church congregant Carolyn Nichols, distributes food to nearly 80 South Maui families every week, often more during the holidays. arranged in a U-shape — in the Hale Aina meeting room directly behind the church. Food distribution begins at 9 a.m., and as clients arrive with their IDs, proof of South Maui residency and reusable shopping bags, they register at the front door and take a number. Once their number is called, they can browse the shelves of the “protein pantry” (a small room filled with cans of Spam and Vienna sausage, cartons of almond milk and other nonperishables) before moving to the adjacent kitchen, which is stocked with

fresh milk, cheese and yogurt.

The clients are then welcomed into the Hale Aina room, where they choose items from six volunteer-manned stations: cereal and juice; canned vegetables and fruits; pasta and rice; fresh produce; baked goods; and miscellaneous (toiletries, chips and candy). And at a seventh station outside, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Maui representatives hand out pet food, treats and toys.

No one ever leaves empty-handed and Eldredge says there are usu-

ally plenty of leftovers. Surplus perishable items are taken to St. Theresa Church for its nightly hot meal service (Keolahou Church and St. Theresa Church also team up to deliver baskets of food and emergency supplies to families in crisis).

It’s a well-organized operation, and Eldredge credits its fluidity — as well as the overall success of the program — to the nearly two dozen volunteers who show up every week.

“No one person can do this,” she said. “It takes a team to make

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it work.”

Regular volunteers like Doc Grady say the experience is a transformative one. Three years ago, he heard about the program from a friend and decided to help out one morning.

“I came to set up chairs and help clean up. After that, I kept coming back,” he said. “I’d seen a lot of food pantry operations on the Mainland, but nothing like this one — it’s top of the line. There’s a lot of aloha here.”

Today, Grady is one of several volunteers who drive to the Maui Food Bank on Thursdays to stock up on items for the following morning.

Eldredge, too, was a volunteer before becoming co-chair in 2015.

“I say to new volunteers: ‘You’re going to love it,’ ” she said. “And they do. It’s such a rewarding experience, especially when you start to see how it can change people’s lives. After a while, it becomes a part of you.”

The food pantry opens its doors every Friday at 9 a.m., rain, wind or shine. In fact, Eldredge says it would take a drastic event to cancel a distribution day. Case in point: A few years ago, she and several others drove to the seaside church on a Friday morning in the midst of a tsunami warning — just to see if anyone needed something to eat.

“Our clients know we are here for them,” she said. “That’s why we do it. We want them to know someone cares . . . and we want to give them hope that it will get better. I look forward to those sparks of hope every week.”

To learn more about the food pantry at Keolahou Hawaiian Congregational Church or to inquire about volunteer or donor opportunities, call Eldredge at 8794693.

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A Supplement of THE MAUI NEWS – Monday, December 25, 2017 – Page T4

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By SARAH RUPPENTHAL

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Mary Dungans Hope floats

For The Maui News

All it took was one cup of coffee.

On a bright October morning seven years ago, Mary Dungans was lugging an outrigger canoe ashore at Sugar Beach in north Kihei when she spotted a group of women in matching pink shirts sipping coffee at a nearby picnic table.

One of the pink-clad women noticed Dungans observing them and offered her a cup. She accepted, and before long, they were swapping life stories.

“And that’s how I became a Pink Paddler,” she said.

Earlier that year, Dungans and her husband handed the reins of their outdoor adventure and ecotour company to their daughter.

Running a business had kept Dungans tethered to a computer during the day, so when she heard a deejay on Mana‘o Radio mention outrigger paddling at north Kihei’s Maui Canoe Club, she was determined to try it.

Dungans quickly fell in love with the sport and soon became a regular at the club on Monday and Wednesday mornings. But on a Tuesday in October, she decided to change her schedule. That’s when she met the Mana‘olana (the Hawaiian word for “hope”) Pink Paddlers.

In 2006, six breast cancer survivors — snowbirds from Canada and the Midwestern U.S. — banded together to replicate Canada’s “Abreast in a Boat” program, which raises breast cancer awareness and improves post-treatment quality of life for survivors through dragon boat paddling. But instead of dragon boats, the women opted to paddle outrigger canoes, which were provided by Maui Canoe Club. Four years later, as more survivors and their supporters began to

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Mary Dungans (center), who joined Mana‘olana Pink Paddlers seven years ago, helped build the nonprofit organization that supports cancer survivors and their supporters that began in 2006.

She transformed the fledgling organization into a bona fide outrigger canoe club that has helped survivors regain their strength and confidence through paddling.

The Maui News MATTHEW THAYER photo

take part in the group’s Tuesday and Thursday morning paddles, the women turned their passion project into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization so they could purchase a boat of their own.

When Dungans came on board that winter, she was asked to join the newly minted nonprofit’s board of directors. Six months later, after taking note of her business savvy (not to mention her boundless optimism and enthusiasm), Dungans’ fellow board members urged her to take on the role of board president.

In the years that followed, she transformed the fledgling organization into a bona fide outrigger canoe club that has helped cancer survivors regain their strength and

confidence through paddling. It also has helped those who are coping with loss or supporting a loved one with cancer.

“I lost both of my parents to cancer,” Dungans said. “I know firsthand that there’s more to Mana‘olana than paddling — it’s a way to set your spirit free. That’s something I see every day.”

Since Dungans took the helm in 2011, Mana‘olana Pink Paddlers has flourished. Among other things, she’s written hundreds of calendar listings, press releases, donation request letters and thank-you cards; maintained the club’s website and social media sites; addressed donor groups, high school assemblies and Kiwanis and Rotary

club meetings; planned nonpaddling-related activities and excursions for members; organized Mana‘olana’s twice-monthly “Ashes to the Sea” ceremonies; and orchestrated a partnership with the Pacific Cancer Foundation. And on top of that, she’s also the club’s cheerleader.

“I feel like that’s my most important role,” she said.

Now 124 members and six pink double-hull canoes strong (a seventh single-hull canoe will soon join the fleet), Mana‘olana has grown to include women and men of varying ages whose lives have been touched by any type of cancer.

Last year, nearly 2,800 people — members and nonmembers — pad-

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dled with the club.

“They are cancer survivors, caregivers and supporters,” Dungans explained.

When it comes to membership, there’s only one steadfast rule.

“You must have a giving spirit,” she said.

And safety is a non-negotiable priority. “I’m a mother hen,” Dungans laughed. “I always do what’s best for the group. That means I do everything in my power to make sure that everyone is safe, happy and in their comfort zone.”

In fact, in this recreational-only club, there are no stopwatches or bullhorns; there are only words of encouragement, laughter and whale songs (during whale season, the group often paddles out with a hydrophone and speaker). And there’s still plenty of coffee and conversation.

“That hasn’t changed,” Dungans said. “The camaraderie is really what makes this organization so special.”

Clearly, retirement isn’t in the cards for Dungans, who devotes several hours to Mana‘olana each day. But she says she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“When someone comes to paddle with us for the first time, there’s often a sadness that you can see,” she said. “But once they are out on the water, you can see that sadness lift.

“It’s medicine for the soul.”

Mana‘olana is a sister club to Maui Canoe Club; paddlers have dual membership. Training is available to new Mana‘olana members and paddles and life vests (if needed) are provided. To learn more about Mana‘olana Pink Paddlers or to inquire about membership or donor opportunities, visit www. mauipinks.org or email manaolana pinkpaddlers@gmail.com.

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By SARAH RUPPENTHAL For The Maui News

If you don’t think a broom can be a catalyst for change, you haven’t been to Wailuku town lately.

Over the past year and a half, Market Street, the town’s main retail thoroughfare, has undergone a remarkable transformation.

“It’s night and day,” said Lawrence Kauha‘aha‘a, who leads Wailuku Clean & Safe, a program that hires homeless and mental health clients to sweep, clean and maintain the area.

Two years ago, Kauha‘aha‘a’s phone rang. Erin Wade, a smalltown planner for the county, asked if he could help with the problems plaguing downtown Wailuku at the time.

“It was really bad — people sleeping in doorways, openly selling drugs, urinating in the street, threatening business owners,” Kauha‘aha‘a said. “I told her: ‘If you want to clean this place, have them do it. They need to be part of the solution.’ ’’ The concept was already on Wade’s radar. In 2010, while working on a revitalization plan for Wailuku town, the Maui Redevelopment Agency (a board of the county Planning Department) learned of the Clean & Safe neighborhood initiatives that were cropping up on the Mainland.

Five years later, as the situation became increasingly volatile, distressed Wailuku merchants and residents urged the county to tackle the issue before it spiraled out of control. That’s when Wade picked up the phone and called Kauha‘aha‘a to ask if he’d help her start a Clean & Safe program for Wailuku.

Kauha‘aha‘a was the right person for the job. The retired community police officer has close ties to a

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Wailuku Clean & Safe Lawrence Kauha‘ aha‘ a makes a clean start

The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

Lawrence Kauha‘aha‘a (right) leads Wailuku Clean & Safe, a program that hires homeless and mental health clients to sweep, clean and maintain the town. Val Patao is one of five outreach coordinators who assist Kauha‘aha‘a around town. number of outreach services, including Mental Health Kokua, a nonprofit organization that provides housing, case management and psychiatry and counseling services to thousands of Hawaii residents.

In April 2016, the county awarded a grant to Kauha‘aha‘a’s nonprofit, Ho‘omaika‘i Services, to run the Wailuku Clean & Safe program as a project of the Maui Redevelopment Agency. It is modeled after national Clean & Safe efforts, but Kauha‘aha‘a says the Wailuku program’s partnership with Mental

Health Kokua sets it apart from the rest.

Here’s how it works: Mental Health Kokua clients apply for a position with Wailuku Clean & Safe and all applicants go through a hiring process. They must supply a photo ID, Social Security number and pass a job interview.

Once they are on the payroll, employees are assigned to one of two shifts (morning or afternoon) throughout the week and are tasked with sweeping and cleaning a designated section of Market Street with a broom and dustpan

— motorized leaf blowers are strictly prohibited.

Apart from the noise, Kauha‘aha‘a explained, “We don’t want them to use anything that would create a social barrier.” And like most jobs, Wailuku Clean & Safe employees are held accountable if they’re late or miss a shift (a doctor’s note or other documentation is required).

The program offers more than an hourly wage — it also provides a sense of purpose.

“A lot of these people want to work but no one will hire them,”

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Kauha‘aha‘a said. “This program has helped them build their self-esteem. They’ve become invested in themselves and their community.”

And through social inclusion, Wailuku Clean & Safe also is working to destigmatize mental illness and homelessness. As part of their job description, employees exchange pleasantries with passers-by while they’re on the clock.

“I tell them: ‘You have a stake in this; you have an opportunity to change people’s perceptions,’ ’’ Kauha‘aha‘a said. “And I think they have.”

Shortly before launching the program in July 2016, Kauha‘aha‘a recruited five outreach coordinators to assist him: David Kauha‘aha‘a, Brian Mansano, Frank Tam, Vernon Patao and Val Patao. The six men (most of whom also have regular jobs) have become familiar faces around town.

“If we are out sick or go on vacation, people notice,” Val Patao said.

“When we come back, they’ll say, ‘Where have you been?’ ’’ Seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., the men take turns patrolling the streets of downtown Wailuku. They check in with workers during their shifts and keep an eye out for anyone posing an imminent danger to themselves or others — or who may need help accessing housing, medical or mental health services.

“We are the eyes and ears,” Patao said. “We know what to look for and how to respond.”

It’s safe to say that Wailuku business owners and residents couldn’t be happier with the program’s efforts. And the same can be said for Wailuku Clean & Safe’s employees.

“We’ve changed the town — and we’ve changed people, too.”

Kauha‘aha‘a said. “That’s a winwin for everyone.”

Thank You! We support and appreciate you, Lawrence Kauha‘aha‘a and the Wailuku Clean & Safe Program.

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By SARAH RUPPENTHAL For The Maui News

Kurt Suzuki may have made it to the big leagues but Maui is never far from his mind.

The Atlanta Braves catcher and Baldwin High School graduate has resided on the Mainland since 2004 but hasn’t let the distance keep him from making a difference in his hometown.

“I was born and raised on Maui; my family and friends are there.

Every time I come back, it feels like I never left,” he said. “Maui will always be ‘home’ to me.”

That’s why Suzuki and his wife, Renee, created the Kurt Suzuki Family Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that aims to improve the lives of Hawaii residents by supporting medical research and promoting healthy lifestyle choices.

One of the foundation’s signature events is the annual Kurt Suzuki/All Pono Baseball Clinic for kids ages 8 to 12. In 2012, the Major League Baseball All-Star teamed up with his friend and former high school baseball coach Jon Viela to launch the free skills clinic, which takes place every January at the Iron Maehara Stadium in Wailuku.

Viela is the founder of the All Pono organization, a nonprofit that emphasizes “pono” values through athletics and community service programs.

“Coach Viela had a big impact on my playing career,” Suzuki explained. “I am grateful for everything he’s done for me. This was one way to show my appreciation to him — and to the community, which has given me so much support over the years.”

The clinic is obviously a big hit: Registration is limited to 150 players — and the slots are usually filled within 48 hours. The founda-

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Kurt Suzuki For the home team

The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

Maui-born major league baseball star Kurt Suzuki poses for a photo with participants in the All Pono Clinic that took place in January at Maehara Stadium in Wailuku. Suzuki and his wife, Renee, created the Kurt Suzuki Family Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that aims to improve the lives of Hawaii residents by supporting medical research and promoting healthy lifestyle choices.

tion pays for youngsters from Molokai and Lanai to attend. Suzuki has returned to Maui to lead the clinic every year since its inception and says it’s an intensely rewarding experience.

“Seeing the kids running around with big smiles on their faces — that never gets old,” he said. “It’s priceless.”

Two years after he started the clinic, Suzuki’s phone rang. Hawaii chef and restaurateur Alan Wong wanted to know if he’d be interested in co-hosting a culinary-themed fundraising gala to benefit the Kurt Suzuki Family Foundation. Suzuki agreed without hesitation.

“I had a world-renowned chef asking me to partner with him to do something good for the community,” he recalled. “I jumped at the

opportunity.”

Now in its fourth year, Wong and Suzuki’s “A Taste of Hawaii” — which features a stellar roster of acclaimed chefs and professional athletes — has raised funds for the National Kidney Foundation and Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children’s Pediatric Cancer Division. For Suzuki, it’s more than an opportunity to support two important beneficiaries — it’s also personal. His father, Warren, is a stage 4 kidney cancer survivor, and Renee’s sister, Tricia, has been bravely battling a rare kidney disorder since the age of 9. Both are now in remission.

Last year, Suzuki met 3-year-old Trucker Dukes, who had been diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma — a rare and aggressive pediatric

cancer — at 19 months old. Before long, Suzuki was rallying his fellow major league players to take part in “The Trucker Tough Challenge,” a social media campaign that encouraged people to post photos of their “toughest face” accompanied by a shaka. Selfies began to pour in; there were so many that Suzuki decided to make a video collage (the “Trucker Tough Challenge-MLB edition” is now on YouTube).

“We did it to make him smile and to remind him that he was a hero and an inspiration to us,” he said.

Like so many others, Suzuki — who, along with his wife and three young children, had grown close to the Dukes family — was heartbroken when Trucker died in March. A few months after Trucker’s death,

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Suzuki hosted the Dukes family in Atlanta, where they attended a Braves game.

“They are one of the toughest families I’ve ever met,” he said.

“I’m proud to call them my friends.”

Suzuki is committed to raising awareness of pediatric cancer and says he carries Trucker’s memory with him every day.

“I feel very fortunate and blessed to have met him,” he said. “Trucker made me a better person. He made all of us who knew him better people.”

Clearly, Suzuki is a role model — both on and off of the baseball field. He is an 11-year major league veteran who smacked a career-high 19 home runs this past season in 81 games for the Braves. Over the summer, he signed another oneyear contract with the Braves for 2018 and has previously played for Oakland, Washington and Minnesota. His lifetime batting average is .257, and he was an American League All-Star for the Minnesota Twins in 2014.

Through his foundation, he says he will continue to give back to the place that gave him so much.

“It feels good to know that I’m making a difference,” he said. “And it’s something we can all do. It doesn’t take a huge donation; sometimes just saying ‘Hi’ to someone can make a big difference.

There are so many things we can do, big or small, that will affect people’s lives in positive ways. If everyone took that approach, I believe the world would be a better place.”

For more information about the Kurt Suzuki Family Foundation, visit www.kurtsuzukifamilyfound ation.org.

■ Staff Writer Rob Collias contributed to this story.

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