POIPU — There was not a person seated in the Garden Island ballrooms Thursday at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa following the reading of 30 Kauai United Way participating agencies. Lady Ipo Kahaunaele Ferreira of Ke Akua Mana
POIPU — There was not a person seated in the Garden Island ballrooms Thursday at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa following the reading of 30 Kauai United Way participating agencies.
Lady Ipo Kahaunaele Ferreira of Ke Akua Mana Church, the keynote speaker at the KUW Campaign Launch, asked people to rise if they were impacted by KUW participating agencies.
One by one, they did.
Kahaunaele Ferreira said she was impacted by two agencies and today, volunteers when she can.
“Before the hurricane, I had no house,” she said. “Habitat for Humanity changed that. Today, I am a paid off homeowner thanks to them.”
The goal for this year’s campaign is $700,000 in honor of the organization’s 70 years, said Ron Wiley, who co-chairs the KUW campaign with Mark Stein.
“Kauai has a little more than 70,000 people, and if everyone gives $10, we’ve already met the goal,” he said.
People should feel good to contribute to the Kauai United Way, said Scott Giarman, executive director.
“People are doing something to make a difference here on Kauai,” he said. “It is a small investment which brings big dividends.”
Participating agencies under the KUW umbrella include the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association, which will be hosting its annual Alzheimer’s Walk, Aug. 23 at the Kukui Grove Center.
Kahaunaele Ferreira said her sister, a client at Easter Seals of Hawaii, another United Way agency, was diagnosed with an illness that was supposed to end her life at age 9.
“She thankfully lived until she was 30,” Kahaunaele Ferreira said. “During the time my home was being built, I still remember her washing the tiles until the day she passed.”
