During the economic downturn since Sept. 11, Nana’s House has come to the rescue of west Kaua’i residents who have lost jobs, are hungry or find themselves at risk of being victims of family abuse. “Definitely, we are hearing more
During the economic downturn since Sept. 11, Nana’s House has come to the rescue of west Kaua’i residents who have lost jobs, are hungry or find themselves at risk of being victims of family abuse.
“Definitely, we are hearing more and more about families coming under more stress,” said Gayle Mizukami, a community outreach specialist with the island’s only “one-stop” family service center. “We are trying to help.”
Nana’s House, located in Waimea, has served as a safety net for residents from Koloa to Mana, its service area, during hard economic times, said Nancy Golden, administrator of the program.
Since the attack, Nana’s House has averaged about 400 cases, about a third more than before the attack. The cases include people who receive other services, including housing referral, counseling, distribution of free food and clothes, and parenting classes.
Last Friday, Nana’s House staffers passed out food baskets, presents and Christmas trees, and traded holiday cheer with parents.
Working with neglected or abused children in an attempt to strengthen families is one of the program’s key objectives, Golden said.
The seven employees of Nana’s House inform the community about the program’s professional counseling, support groups, enrichment classes, after-school services, food distribution, job information, volunteer training and health services for women. They also make referrals for schools, churches and the state Department of Human Services.
Staffers also visit Waimea High School and encourage parents to get involved with their children’s education, Golden said.
Because of its small staff, Nana’s House is not able to work with youths who have been adjudicated through the court system, Mizukami said. But on referrals, staffers can intercede before family abuse occurs.
Golden said the “family is the central unit” and functions as a tool for “a constructive and productive way of living. Communities suffer when families fail.”
Nana’s House celebrated its fifth year last week, also marking the opening of Hale O’ Hana, an expansion of the Nana’s House project in an adjoining building.
The bulk of the funding for the project comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The funds are channeled to the state DHS, which awarded the contract for the Nana’s House project to Child Family Service, a non-profit organization.
It runs a slew of other projects on Kaua’i and throughout the state, including Headstart, a pre-school education project, and another project helping at-risk infants and children, Golden said.
Funding for Nana’s House also comes from the Atherton Foundation, the Shocken Foundation, Queen Lili’uokalani Children’s Center and individual contributors.
Nana’s House came about because of massive “disorganization of families” in west Kaua’i six years ago and a “great need for a family support center,” Golden explained. A group of residents applied for the funds and a 15-member board was formed that “has been very active in helping to guide and develop the project,” she said.
More and more people are participating in the program partly because of its homestyle atmosphere, Mizukami said.
“People here are a little shy. If this were a concrete building instead of a home like this, I don’t think as many people would come,” Mizukami said. “It is inviting here.”
Nana’s House operates from a single-story, three-bedroom house that resembles an old plantation home. It’s owned by the Hee family of Lihu’e, whose members worked for many years in the plantation industry of west Kaua’i. The building also was once part of a health clinic and housed an optometry business used by local folks.
Parts are crammed with office equipment, but in the rest of the house, curtains hang from windows, some rooms are carpeted and stuffed animals are found almost everywhere.
“This is more like my home than my own home,” said one client. “That is why I come.”
Staff writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) and mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net
