WAIMEA — When Amelia Mendonca joins the other residents of the Kaua‘i Care Center, Saturday, the annual Waimea Lighted Parade will have special meaning. Mendonca will be celebrating her 100th birthday, Saturday, said Tonya Agan, Activities Director for the care
WAIMEA — When Amelia Mendonca joins the other residents of the Kaua‘i Care Center, Saturday, the annual Waimea Lighted Parade will have special meaning.
Mendonca will be celebrating her 100th birthday, Saturday, said Tonya Agan, Activities Director for the care center in Waimea.
“100,” said Mendonca, holding up her hands in agreement.
Mendonca was one of the residents helping to wrap gift boxes for West Kaua‘i keiki, Thursday, and was joined by her daughter Diana Duarte.
“She was born in Kilauea,” Duarte said. “She got married and moved to Lihu‘e for a little while before settling at New Mill where she raised her three children.”
Duarte said the children grew up with McBryde Sugar and Mendonca lived in ‘Ele‘ele until she was 92 years old.
Today, she has two surviving daughters, 11 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren.
Agan said Mendonca and the other residents at the Kaua‘i Care Center were really excited to be able to wrap special gift boxes for the children at Nana’s House.
“It makes them feel they can still do something for people,” Agan said. “The project allows the residents to have a sense of purpose and feel they are still contributing to the community.”
Agan said she got the idea for the project from a national planning guide for activities directors, and after tweaking the plan, adapted it for Kaua‘i Care Center, relying on the residents’ families, center staff and the community for donations to make the project work.
“We had a good response from everyone,” Agan said. “The residents really enjoy visits from the children that come to visit from the churches and various organizations and they decided they wanted to do something for children.”
Agan said the goal of the project was to wrap 50 gift boxes for youth between ages 2 through 16 years old. Those wrapped boxes will be turned over to Nana’s House for distribution to West Kaua‘i keiki who could use a special gift box to make Christmas a little more special.
Among the contents of the boxes are bracelets and necklaces the residents make, Agan said.
“This is what makes the boxes special,” Agan said. “They send out their love and aloha with each hand-made gift.”
Liza Trinidad, the director for Kaua‘i Care Center, said there are currently 38 residents at the Waimea facility. The Kaua‘i Care Center is also in the process of expanding, adding a new parking area in a site formerly occupied by homes. There is an additional building being worked on which will add another 15 beds, Trinidad said.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
