Father John Molina, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Pahoa and vicar forane of the East Hawaii Vicariate, blessed the new youth homeless outreach center in downtown Hilo. (Courtesy Hope Services Hawaii)
By Celia K. Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Young people struggling with homelessness on Hawaii Island have a new resource where they can find safety, essential services and even a place to stay.
Hope Services Hawaii, a nonprofit affiliation organization of the Roman Catholic Church in Hawaii, has teamed up with Neighborhood Place of Puna and The Salvation Army to operate a new youth homeless outreach center in downtown Hilo. The three agencies have interwoven their areas of expertise to support young people who are at risk of becoming homeless or who are currently facing homelessness.
Hope Services Hawaii, based on Hawaii Island, works across the island to help people avoid and overcome homelessness with the goal of making it “rare, brief and nonrecurring,” according to its website. Neighborhood Place of Puna is another nonprofit organization based on Hawaii Island that focuses on assisting individuals and families with accessing the resources they need to build and maintain a stable community.
The Salvation Army’s Family Intervention Services provides support to young people on Hawaii Island and Maui, striving to instill healthy habits as well as purpose and hope.
The new outreach center, which was officially unveiled with a blessing Feb. 21, comprises commercial and residential units in a multilevel building across from the Hilo Central Fire Station. Hope Services Hawaii has taken on the master lease for the building and will manage the residential units.
The ground level features two commercial units that will be run by Neighborhood Place of Puna (a third commercial space is being used by a local business), and the upper level has 22 small residential units intended for individuals, couples or small families.
Neighborhood Place’s two offices are already up and running. The agency’s Homeless Engagement Team is working out of one, and a new initiative called the Anchor Point Youth Center occupies the second.
Anchor Point officially opened in early March; the residential units are projected to begin accepting tenants by the middle of the month.
The residences will serve young adults ages 18-24 who are facing imminent homelessness or are fighting homelessness. The tenants would pay a monthly rent that, with a voucher from Hawaii County, would be no more than 30% of their income. Without a voucher, the rent would be $950 a month.
Hope Services Hawaii said in a news release issued after the blessing that it is seeking the community’s help in preparing the residential units as well as the overall property.
“Please consider sponsoring a unit, creating a garden or volunteering to help with maintenance,” said Brandee Menino, CEO of Hope Services Hawaii, in the news release.
Kristen Alice, Hope Services’ director of community relations, added in comments to the Hawaii Catholic Herald that the organization hopes the community can contribute items like bedroom furniture, linens, toiletries and other living essentials to make the roughly 10-foot-by-11-foot spaces feel more welcoming.
For young people who qualify to live in the residential units, The Salvation Army would be able to provide a referral, said Roxanne Costa, Hawaii County social services director for the organization, in the news release. The Salvation Army can also help young adults find other housing services and will assist those who will live at the outreach center.
Youths under age 18 are not eligible to rent a unit at the new outreach center. They would remain at The Salvation Army or live in another group home, according to the Feb. 21 press release.
Young people under age 18 can still find assistance at the outreach center through the Anchor Point Youth Center, which is geared toward those ages 14-24.
According to a Q&A included with the press release, Anchor Point will offer services like computer and Wi-Fi access; assistance with case management, obtaining vital documents and applications; storage for vital documents; food, care packages and harm reduction supplies; and workshops and activities.
For more information about supporting the outreach center and helping with the residential units, contact Joycelyn Cabal at jcabal@hopeserviceshawaii.org. Donations are also accepted online at www.hopeserviceshawaii.org.
