Author: admin

Today is June 1. Can you believe COVID-19 arrived here almost 3 months ago?  It hit our aloha spirit and hugging, loving community hard, with the “stay at home” emergency orders, including the 14-day quarantine, virtually stopping all visitors to our state. Our community is one of the Nation’s hardest hit, with so many of our residents and businesses dependent on visitors.   Now that we’ve seen we can shelter in place and practice social distancing and masking up, we know we can reopen safely! We not only flattened the curve we smashed it.

HELP US LEARN FROM OUR SHELTERING AS WE REOPEN
So, let’s think about what we’ve learned as a community during our “respite” at home and what’s important as we move into recovery.  We have a few questions to help our journey. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO TAKE OUR COVID SURVEY.  If you haven’t had a chance to take our original (pre-crisis) survey, please click here to give us your valuable input.

MORE REOPENING SOON:  Lifting the Interisland Travel Quarantine
Signs of recovery are happening.  The Governor announced today the 14-day interisland travel quarantine will be lifted on June 16.  But, of course, to prevent any resurgence, there will be close monitoring and safeguards like thermal screening, assessing passenger health status and travel history/residence information.  This is a good test of safe travels; and, if successful in keeping our incidence at the current level, we may reopen sooner.

UPDATED SERVICES CARING FOR KUPUNA
With Governor Ige’s “safer-at-home” order continuing through June 30, and the loosening of restrictions on more businesses and activities, we are pleased that our vulnerable elders are not being forgotten. Services continue to support them and to ease their discomfort and their caregivers. Here are some updated resources:

• Meal Assistance & Food Distribution
  • St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii —Free Home Delivered Lunches for Kupuna May 18 – May 31 https://www.facebook.com/pg/StFrancisHealthcareSystemOfHawaii/posts/
  • Food Pantries Honolulu Listing — https://www.foodpantries.org/ci/hi-honolulu
  • Hawaii Food Bank Distribution List (Updated 5/28/20)
  • Help is On the Way — Email: hihelpisontheway@gmail.com” style=”mso-line-height-rule: exactly;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;color: #007C89;font-weight: normal;text-decoration: underline;”>hihelpisontheway@gmail.com; Phone: (406) 426-1013
  • Hawaii Meals On Wheels — If you are over 60 and don’t have Medicaid, please call their Senior Helpline: 808-768-7700. If you have Medicaid- call your caseworker for more information.
  • If you are under 60, but have difficulty getting around or preparing meals, call 808-988-6747; https://hmow.org/how-to-receive-meals-on-wheels/
  • Kupuna Needs Project —Home delivered groceries and essential supplies by the Boyscout Troop 39. Call 808-202-0820 or 808 202-1203.
  • Kupuna Kokua Resources– Grocery delivery and other resources on O’ahu. Email: <a href=”mailto:info@kupunakokua.org” title=”mailto:info@kupunakokua.org” style=”mso-line-height-rule: exactly;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;color: #007C89;font-weight: normal;text-decoration: underline;”>info@kupunakokua.org;https://www.kupunakokua.org/contact/ 
  • Hawaii Foodbank Senior Food Box Program — Call 808-954-7868  http://www.hawaiifoodbank.org/csfp

• Adopt A Kupuna! Help from the millennial’s generation. Chat on the phone. Buy groceries, food, prescriptions. Learn from the wise!  Call 800-400-4506. Or register to volunteer at www.ourkupuna.com

• General Kupuna Assistance. GENERAL KUPUNA ASSISTANCE  If you have questions on getting help for kupuna you can call Senior Hotline: 808-768-7700; https://www.hawaiiadrc.org/

• Donate to the Helpers:  If you’ve been helped or want to donate cash or your talents, contact: Kupuna Food Security Coalition– Jackie Boland, Volunteer Coordinator 808-545-6003; Email: kupunafood@gmail.com; or Hawaii Foodbank– http://www.hawaiifoodbank.org/csfp

HCDA KAKAAKO BOARD MEETING WEDNESDAY
HCDA Kakaako Board will meet virtually (via videoconference and telephone conference) this Wednesday, June 3 at 10 am.  All written public testimony will be accepted up to 2pm the day before the meeting (tomorrow) at: www.dbedt.hawaii.gov/hcda or dbedt.hcda.contact@hawaii.gov.  See agenda here with links to view the meeting.

SENATE COVID COMMITTEE HEARING
The committee will meet tomorrow (6/2) at 12:45 pm.  We will be be updated on the state’s recovery plan by  Alexandra Slous, State Disaster Recovery Coordinator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HiEMA); and a full coverage of contact tracing technologies, beginning with an update on DOH’s plan, from DOH Director Director Bruce Anderson; followed by Dean Mary Boland, UH Nursing & Dental Hygiene; President Lynn Babington, Chaminade University; President John Gotunda, Hawaii Pacific University; and technology companies Aloha Trace (Brandon Kurisu), Everyline Hawaii (Robert Kurisu) and SafePaths (Michael Kamida). Live viewing will be available on Olelo channel 49 and on olelo.org.

We will meet again on Thursday (6/4), at 1 pm on the state’s plan for recovery from the Department of Business & Economic Development (on the potential sector growth from the State’s Economist and on job creation from eight programs in the department –Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, Hawaii State Energy Office, Business Development & Support Division, Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority, Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems, Foreign Trade Zone Division, Creative Industries Division and the Hawaii Tourism Authority.  Live viewing information on Olelo will be posted here shortly before the meeting. 

Day by day… the legislature, looking at all sources of funding, is crafting a way to pay for our neediest and to reopen safely. But …

WE’RE IN BAD SHAPE
At its meeting yesterday, the state’s Council on Revenues projected a 7% decline in revenues for this fiscal year, and a 12% decline in FY2021. It does predict that FY2022 will show a 12% increase. So we’ll have to weather a terrible storm for two years.

Senate Ways and Means Committee Chair Donovan M. Dela Cruz and House Finance Committee Chair Sylvia Luke, however, believe that, using the federal CARES Act funds, strategic budget cuts, and possibly federal loans, the state can move forward without imposing teacher furloughs, statewide pay cuts, or slashing critical social services

The Legislature appropriated $562 million of the $1.2 billion federal CARES Act relief funds to the counties to support their needy residents and businesses, providing  rent subsidies, direct food aid,  business support, etc.. We held the balance of $635 million until we assessed the community’s greatest needs and the final federal relief measures. We will be allocating the balance in two weeks when the legislature reconvenes.

US CENSUS: Did you respond?
The US Census counts everyone in the country every 10 years. The numbers are used to distribute more than $675 billion in federal funds for programs like housing, education, transportation, employment, health care; and, now, how we get our share of relief for our unemployed needy and businesses. So it’s important to be counted. Did you respond — by phone, mail or online?  If not, it’s not too late. See the map below to see how well your community is doing.

Robert Su, US Census Bureau Partnership Specialist, urges you to respond especially those in communities like Waikiki that have a very low response rate. So boost your numbers so we can get more help! The deadline is July 31 but,due to COVID19, it‘s extended to October 31. But while you’re still “safe at home” do your civic duty and respond NOW. It’s quick and easy. It’s safe and secure.  Go to my2020census.gov  and enter your ID from the Census Bureau invitation letter or if you don’t have it, just enter your address online.

SENATE SPECIAL COMMITTEE MEETS NEXT TUESDAY
The committee continues to meet and will keep looking for a plan forward on reopening and recovery. We will meet next Tuesday (6/2) beginning at 12:45 pm.  Live viewing will be available on Olelo channel 49 and on olelo.org.

We will be be updated on the state’s recovery plan by  Alexandra Slous, State Disaster Recovery Coordinator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HiEMA); and a full coverage of contact tracing technologies, beginning with an update on DOH’s plan, from DOH Director Director Bruce Anderson; followed by Dean Mary Boland, UH Nursing & Dental Hygiene; President Lynn Babington, Chaminade University; President John Gotunda, Hawaii Pacific University; and technology companies Aloha Trace (Brandon Kurisu), Everyline Hawaii (Robert Kurisu) and SafePaths (Michael Kamida).