LIHUE — Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami said the county could not afford to pay for the countless hours of work accomplished by the AmeriCorps and Senior Corps volunteers on Kauai.
He joined thousands of other government leaders across the country to acknowledge and thank the volunteers for their contributions on National Service Recognition Day, the annual initiative being led by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the National League of Cities, the National Association of Counties and Cities of Service.
More than two dozen individuals representing both the AmeriCorps and Senior Corps took time from their volunteerism to enjoy a mayoral proclamation from government dignitaries, and light refreshments before returning to their volunteer positions.
One of those positions is the Aloha Ambassador at the Department of Motor Vehicles that Kawakami initiated on taking office as the mayor.
“It’s been very successful,” said Donna Olivas Kaohi, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program coordinator at the county Office of Elderly Affairs. “We are fortunate the mayor had this vision of trying to deal with the waiting for clients at the DMV. He initiated the take-a-number system, more comfortable waiting areas, and the Aloha Ambassador who greets people and directs them to the appropriate area for service.”
The local government effort was joined by U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard through her liaison Kaulana Finn.
“Our national service volunteers here on Kauai — AmeriCorps and Senior Corps — join the more than 325,000 volunteers across the country working to give back to those in need, assist in solving many of our community’s challenges, and bridge the divides that too often come between us,” Gabbard said in her remarks delivered by Finn.
AmeriCorps volunteers make a difference in helping alleviate the housing issue, said Milani Pimental of Kauai Habitat for Humanity.
“I just got back from a Habitat conference, and found out we closed on two more units (in the Eleele Iluna project),” Pimental said. “We also have homeowners — 17 of them — getting ready to move into homes they’ve spent months on working.”
Olivas Kaohi said Kauai RSVP volunteers put in about 30,000 hours a year at the different government offices and private-sector locations they work at. The Foster Grandparents program, operating under the Senior Corps program, finished 2018 with more than 19,000 hours spread over its corps of 25 people.
“Those are the recorded hours,” Olivas Kaohi said. “In many cases, the individual volunteer does a lot more than what is on paper.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
Can’t afford or don’t want to be bothered? County employees are the biggest welfare recipients to date and refuse to uphold their obligations!