FROM JUDITH'S DESK

State Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland announced her retirement from the Hawaii State Senate in May. She has been Hawaii’s greatest champion for children, youth, elderly, homeless, victims of abuse and neglect and persons with disabilities. She has been the driving force behind Children and Youth Day – an event that brings thousands of families to the Capitol for a day of fun and learning. She has encouraged youth participation in legislative advocacy through the annual Children and Youth Summit, where young people share their ideas about what the legislature can do to make Hawaii a better place to live and work.

In her message announcing that she would not run for reelection, she reflected on her career:

We have statutes in place that are protective and supportive of our most vulnerable people. I am proud of my colleagues for being unified and making this an important part of our collective kuleana.

Hawaii has enjoyed a significant reduction in child abuse and neglect and has the lowest re-abuse rate in the nation. We have been recognized for investing significant resources in the non-school hours for our children and youth. The commitment to caring for our kupuna and people with disabilities is also a hallmark of this State.

Our public policies have supported a beautiful environment, preservation of many precious natural resources, one of the best quality of fresh water in the world, one of the lowest violent crime rates in the nation, one of the highest longevity rates in the world, and the most aggressive renewable energy goals in the nation.

And many people have shared their feelings about her in comments attached to Civil Beat’s May 7th story:

Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland is and will remain a tireless advocate for the marginalized and voiceless in our society, and especially our children. – Kris Coffield, Imua Alliance

Even those who disagreed with some of her policy calls agree that Sen. Chun Oakland ranked among the Senate's rare gems. During Interim, when most of her colleagues would take off for weeks at a time, she'd continue to invest long hours, answering her own emails and phone calls personally and in-depth. –Elise Anderson, Excel Learning Center

. . .She was one of the most honest, humble and hardworking legislators. She genuinely believed in helping people, especially the disadvantaged. –Rick Tubania, University of Hawaii

I hope that her successor in the Senate will have the same passion for helping others as Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland. She has made a huge difference in the lives of our most vulnerable citizens.

RESOURCES

AUW RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR HOMELESS AND AT-RISK

As you may have heard, Aloha United Way was awarded a grant by DHS to provide rent, deposit and companion utility payments for the Homeless and "At-Risk" of becoming homeless in Hawaii. The program formally launched on April 15th and is actively assisting the target populations. The DHS grant also enabled AUW to establish a Homeless Coordination Center within the existing 211 operation.

Statewide, 18 agencies were selected to provide assistance by making direct payments to landlords, prospective landlords and/or utility companies. There are 8 providers on Oahu. CSHI assistance is not limited to the clients of these agencies. Rather, these agencies are required to accept any client that meets the program eligibility requirements – they are intended as a resource for the entire nonprofit community. If your clients include the target population, please be aware that you can refer your client to one of our CSHI providers for rent/deposit/utility assistance.

The easiest way to find the most appropriate provider is to call AUW’s 211 Center and ask for the Homeless Coordination Center. Center staff will guide your client and might also be able to recommend other assistance for your client. AUW 211 operates from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm on normal business days.

HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY (YRBS ) DATA ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR 2015

Both state- and county-level reports for the 2015 High School YRBS have been posted! In addition to all the reports traditionally offered, many new ones have been created for this data set. Here are some of the results…

In 2015, 43% of high school students in Honolulu County report using active transport to and from school at least one a week. Riding a bike or walking not only provides an opportunity for physical activity, it’s also good for the planet.

Among high school students across the state in 2015, 1 in 6 report having to avoid certain foods due to allergic reactions. Food allergies can cause serious reactions, even death.

Almost 1 in 10 high school students in Hawaii in 2015 report having 1 or more tattoos. Of these students, almost half report getting at least one tattoo outside of a licensed tattoo shop. Licensed shops are required to follow procedures to prevent the transmission of blood-borne diseases. Getting a tattoo without these preventive procedures greatly increases the risk of skin infection and viral diseases such as Hepatitis B and HIV.

Explore HHDW and Hawaii Health Matters for more! The 2015 Middle School YRBS results will be available shortly. If you haven’t checked out our new data query tool, Hawaii-IBIS, be sure to give it a look!

HAWAIIAN HOPE GIVING AWAY FREE STUFF!

If you are a non profit org and need some stuff, see pictures of items by visiting our website at : http://www.hawaiianhope.org/availableitems.asp

We have Printer Ink Cartridges, calculators, Laser Printers, a color Laser Printer, stereo equipment, mobile monitor stands, dual head monitor stands, Servers, 3 ring binders, clear plastic pouches, wire molding, more ink cartridges, plastic (mail) bins, a 2 drawer file cabinet, stacking plastic shelving, Web Cams, corrugated display boards and (about 200) panels, gift boxes, Cisco and other network switches (5 port to 48 port), phones, laptop carry bags, a few chairs, and a bunch of other stuff.

Have a computer you are no longer using ? Don't Recycle(Scrap) It ! Donate it !

"Recycled" computers, even working ones, are melted down for scrap metal !

Donate your computer to us and we can refurbish it and get it to someone in need, just as we have done for over 900 computers so far.

TRAINING

IDENTIFYING CHILDREN, YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT RESOURCES IN HAWAII

June 17
12 noon to 1:45 pm
Queen’s Conference Center

Learning Objectives:

• Review features of the Hawai’i Youth Services Directory
• Highlight location-based search features of the directory
• Discuss the use of the HYSD in the field of health, education, and social services

To register for QCC, all video conferencing sites or webinar go to: http://www.training17June 2016.eventbrite.com/

KUPU INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE

Part-time internship positions available with the Kupu RISE program through a partnership with Energy Excelerator and Kupu's Extended Internship Program.

Applications are currently open for our Extended Internship Program, with an application deadline of June 30th.

Don't miss out on an opportunity to work alongside Hawaiʻi's leading environmental agencies and gain in-depth field experience.

Ages 17+ (must be 17 by June 6th, 2016)
U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, Lawful Permanent Resident/Alien

Benefits include:

• Gain experience in conservation work
• Help protect native ecosystems
• Meet other young conservationists
• Receive First Aid/CPR Certification
• Travel to other islands to work and camp
• Work with Federal/State/Non-Profit Conservation organizations across Hawai'i
• Receive $1300 monthly living allowance and $5775 Educational Award

For further information and application go to: www. kupuhawaii.org