• Kaua‘i women • Kaua‘i’s unemployment rate Kaua‘i women In today’s issue of The Garden Island, Kaua‘i women play a prominent role in our news reports. One woman is fighting back after losing most of her possessions. She’s homeless, but
• Kaua‘i women
• Kaua‘i’s unemployment rate
Kaua‘i women
In today’s issue of The Garden Island, Kaua‘i women play a prominent role in our news reports.
One woman is fighting back after losing most of her possessions. She’s homeless, but hopeful, and is bootstraping new businesses.
Another woman is helping single mothers get on the road to self-sufficiency. She’s gaining support from corporate donors as well as community volunteers.
A Kaua‘i High School teacher, another woman, is receiving Kaua‘i’s public school teacher of the year. She’s helping her students, and calls her job something that’s more than a job – a calling.
All three of these woman are proactive and taking on causes that are much bigger than themselves. They are finding support as they move ahead in a positive direction, leaping over hurdles that get in their way.
However, community support is needed by all three.
Businesswoman Gail Kerley needs customers and business support in reestablishing her tamale business after a personal loss of possessions.
Single-mother helper and advocate Marilyn Mohler needs a base of operations for her Hui O Na Makuahine Ho‘okahi o Kaua‘i organization. In particular, a place where she can distribute goods like food, clothing and household items to single mothers so these struggling mothers can focus on keeping their basic household bill paying up to date. She doesn’t need a large area, an oversized pantry space in Kapa‘a would do for now.
Like all of Kaua‘i’s teachers, Kaua‘i’s teacher of the year Pam McMillan – a Kaua‘i High School 11th grade English/language arts teacher with 14 years experience – needs the support of the community in making our public schools better places of learning for our students. McMillan sounds like an exemplary teacher, and a good role model for teachers with less experience.
Kerley, Mohler and McMillan moving ahead with their lives in challenging situations is a virtue, and an example for all of how to better our community.
Kaua‘i’s unemployment rate
The local unemployment rate, now well below five percent, is a reflection of the good economic times the Island is enjoying.
The trend is a statewide one, with even the Big Island, a place where unemployment is a bigger problem than found on Kaua‘i, seeing a rate just above five percent of the non-agricultural work force.
The trend also goes against the situation on the Mainland, where unemployment is a more critical situation.
Hopefully low unemployment at a time when the Mainland isn’t doing as well economically is a good sign for the future of Kaua‘i and of Hawai‘i.
