Keiki and kupuna now have a place in Ewa where both can go every day for supervision, companionship, fun, learning and care.
Bishop Larry Silva blessed the St. Francis Intergenerational Center in Ewa Villages, Feb. 28.
The $8 million center provides under one roof both a preschool and daycare for the elderly. This newest program of St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii offers shared experiences for the young and the old, and convenience for households with both.
Also present at the dedication ceremony were Gov. Neil Abercrombie and Pamela Witty-Oakland, director of the department of community services for Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell.
According to Sister William Marie Eleniki, a Sister of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities and a St. Francis Healthcare executive, the center offers relief to families “stretched to the limit” because of “greater demands at work and longer commute times.”
“The St. Francis Intergenerational Center nurtures these families, while also providing opportunities for kupuna and keiki to share mutually enriching experiences together,” she said.
The Sisters of St. Francis and St. Francis Healthcare have been advocates of intergenerational care in Hawaii for 17 years. The Franciscan Adult Day Center in Manoa has provided a safe environment that promotes the well-being of its participants since 1996. Its activities include intergenerational learning experiences, exercise, arts and crafts, music and field trips.
Now in Ewa, as in Manoa, “older adults can share their knowledge and life experiences with young children, while the children bring joy for the older adults, “Sister William Marie said.
“It’s a win-win situation for both generations,” she said.
The adult day center will serve up to 42 adults a day with companionship and help with daily activities, while offering respite for their regular caregivers.
The preschool program, which opened March 4, combines Montessori and traditional teaching methods and serves up to 88 children, ages 3-6.
The 15,000-square-foot center was built on a 1.25-acre site at 91-1758 Oohao Street, across the street from Franciscan Vistas Ewa, a 149-unit St. Francis Healthcare senior independent living community. It has separate entrances, an adult day activity room and lounge, four preschool classrooms, an infirmary and a large landscaped yard.
Meandering paths can accommodate wheelchairs as well as tricycles. Classrooms filled with Amish children’s furniture have whimsical ceiling tiles decorated with marine life and things that fly.
The center’s energy-saving features include high-efficiency air conditioning, photovoltaic panels, occupancy controlled lights and air hand dryers.
In the certified kitchen, chef Elmer Guzman oversees the preparation of lunch and snacks.
Construction of the intergenerational center has been financed primarily through government grants and donations from local foundations.
These include a lead gift of $2 million from The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, $2 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant program awarded by the City and County of Honolulu, and $1 million from the State of Hawaii’s grant-in-aid program.
Other contributors include The Samuel N. & Mary Castle Foundation, First Hawaiian Bank Foundation, Atherton Family Foundation, McInerny Foundation, James Campbell Company, ABC Stores, Joseph & Vera Long Foundation and numerous individual donors.
For more information about the adult day care or preschool, call 681-0100 or visit stfrancishawaii.org.
