KAPA‘A — Terry-ann Moses, director of the Friendship House in Kapa‘a, Saturday received two plastic folding tables from the Kauai Lions Club.
“Now to get to these benches, it feels really good,” Moses said. “We have been challenged, especially with COVID, reopening. So these two new benches will allow us to physically distance in a better way. We use these benches for our members. And we’re still following COVID restrictions.”
Moses said she has about 20 members coming every day, with the approval of the state Department of Health, and about 75% of her members are vaccinated.
The tables will allow Friendship House members to have lunch together outside, following the recommended guidelines.
“If we have any social activities, we can have more people outside,” Moses said. “And it’s also easier to clean, which, of course, with COVID, we are wiping things down and cleaning things regularly.”
According to Moses, Friendship House is a psychosocial rehabilitation program in existence since 1988.
“I think of it as a nontraditional mental-health program,” Moses said. “So members and staff here work side by side to do the work of the clubhouse. So that is the main tenant of the clubhouse from philosophy, our clubhouse model, it’s an international program, and that is their clubhouses all over the United States and internationally.”
There were six Lions present on Saturday. Lion Lion Jeff Venzon he purchased them at $150 each, and found better screws to make sure the tables were solid before donating them.
Smiling from afar was Lion Debra Thompson, now retired, who was delighted to help the Friendship House, a place she worked at through the state for many years.
“I really love that on our island — our community, we work so closely with our partners like this, and so it was a no-brainer for the Kaua‘i Lions Club to provide this,” Thompson said.
Lion Priti Maya Tayal’s honorary lion Harley Morris was one of those helping Venzon carry the tables.
“It’s wonderful,” Morris said. “It’s a beautiful day, and what better way to do them with friends at Friendship House.”
w Info: friendshipclubkauai.org
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Stephanie Shinno, education and business reporter, can be reached at 245-0424 or sshinno@thegardenisland.com.
