Tuesday, October 27

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Mathew 25:40)

Aloha e St. Mark’s O’hana,

I hope you all are well, wearing masks, distancing, washing hands and cleaning surfaces and objects as appropriate. Who would have thought we would be sheltering for seven months with no end in sight? Remember when we were looking forward to attending Easter Service? Oh well! Many are keeping busy cleaning, gardening, sewing, shopping online, cooking and baking for family and friends. I have also been baking for the Thrift Shop, and of course before you serve food to others you must sample everything you cook or bake. This caused my Internist to frown at me during yesterday’s visit with him. He is concerned Patrick and I are sampling a little too much! Each Friday I also prepare food for Youth Outreach, and yes, those dishes and baked goods must first be tasted too. ’Auwe!

In the midst of all the challenges we are facing, we also need to help keep St Mark’s healthy with our stewardship pledges and donations. One of the programs your stewardship pledges support is St Mark’s outreach efforts on behalf of homeless, hungry youth who live on the streets of Waikiki, Kapahulu and Kaimuki. Hale Kipa has a Youth Outreach (YO) program to serve these youth, and their headquarters is on Keoniana Street at the mauka entrance to Waikiki.

Their doors are open to youth up to the age of 22, from 3:00 to 6:00 pm Monday thru Friday. They provide meals to young people Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Medical staff attend to these young folks as needed each Wednesday.

This facility provides a safe haven for homeless youth, offering social services and nonjudgmental support, along with food, hot showers, use of computers, washing machines, dryers and sewing machines.

St Mark’s outreach team has provided them hot, nutritious meals each Friday for the past three years. Additionally, your donations throughout the year of food, toiletries, and new and gently used clothing items, send them a message that someone cares about their well-being and wishes them well.

Last week I called one of the Youth Outreach counselors and asked her to share an experience of one of their clients. She shared the following:

A young mother who had experienced homelessness for over three years, expressed her desire to finish school. After facing abuse and family problems, she dropped out of high school during her senior year and ran away from home. YO assisted this young mother get housing through a Youth Rapid Re-Housing Program two days before Christmas. She began attending a six-month alternative education program focused on conservation and Native Hawaiian culture. During her graduation speech, she spoke eloquently about what she learned and her inspiration for getting through the program: her son. With YO encouragement and support, this young mother completed her alternative education program despite hardships due to COVID-19, passed 4 HiSET exams (High School Standardized Education Test), received a Workforce Development Diploma, and awaits her final HiSET exam results. She currently works two jobs to support her son. Her dream is to work in the social service field and help youth who go through the things she's gone through.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, this young mother perseveres and is succeeding. Initially she was drawn to the YO Clinic to get a meal for herself and her child, a hot bath and clean clothes, but she has received and continues to receive so much more. We are blessed in our small way to help some young people in need.

“A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.” (Proverbs 22:9)

Thank you and God bless you all for your monetary contributions, as well as donations of food, clothing, and toiletries to St Mark’s for Hale Kipa’s YO Clinic. Let our lives be full of both Thanks and Giving.

EM Lokelani Garvey
Vestry Member and Outreach Team Member