Hammer and Nail

Fall 2008, No. 3

2008 Build-a-thon success

This year’s Build-a-thon at-
tracted more than one-thousand
volunteers to build with families
on 23 homes around the state. A
remarkable success.
We can’t say the same for
fundraising efforts, which were
affected by the general malaise
of our economy.
We’ll let the pictures tell the Team
Oceanic Time Warner team @ Honolulu Molok
story. a`i

Kaukahi
band me
Leeward’s mbers w
Maui volunteer orientation Art Hanse ith
ers n
lunte
o lok a`i vo
M

Akin
i-Soa
res Fam
ily, K
ona
Habi
tat
Homeowner Debbie Silva, w/Honolulu Habi-
tat board pres. Kauhane & board mbr. Kam
Kona volunteers @ Cho Family home
 2008 Board of directors agement, loans officer, construc-
President tion and development manager
Michael Sessions (residential and commercial), fi-
Vice president nance officer, government subsidy
Chandler Rowe programs administrator, program
Treasurer development and executive man-
David Enersen agement and administration;
Secretary performer/entertainer for more
Tim Keck than 20 years; original member of
Peter Moon Band, with 14 records
Executive Director and 20 plus Nā Hōkū Hanohano
Kathleen Hasegawa
awards during his career;
Robert Agres, Jr. attended UH; major in Hawai-
Steve Bader ian Studies; played on football
Thad Bond team in early 70s under then head
Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland
coach, Larry Price;
Mike Dang graduate of Saint Louis High
Ron Davis
School.
Richard Emery
Robert J. Hall
John Jaskula
Abe Lee
Ritchie Mudd
Thomas McCrann
Peter Savio
Rosemary Slabaugh
Jasmine Tso
Abe L
ee, M
.Ed ., CC
IM
“I find that Hawai`i
Habitat is a problem solver and I
want to help with creating solu-
tions for the first-time homeown-
ers. Having been a renter with
four young children, I know first-
all hand how difficult it can be to find
Bobby H
a rental for a large family. We
“I am serving on this board to fa- now have six children and own a
cilitate affordable housing to fami- home. I want the same opportuni-
lies in most need, with emphasis on ties for others.”
my native Hawaiian community.” Abe Lee is principal broker for
Worked with State government Abe Lee Realty, principal instruc-
in the housing field for over 30 tor for Abe Lee Seminars, and
years (1976 to present); work ex- owner of Abe Lee Development.
perience includes property man- He has taught thousands of agents
Volume 1, Issue 3
over the years, and loves teach-
ing. He also enjoys solving prob-
lems in real estate.
Affiliate news
West Hawai`i
Welcome to the `ohana: Jim
Uding, who’s helped run the West
Hawai`i Habitat ReStore, is now a
fulltime employee, allowing the
affiliate to keep the store open
every Saturday.
In the newly created position of
Community Relations Director is
Annie Erickson. Cindy Naihe
serves as bookkeeper for the af-
filiate.
Habitat West Hawai`i and other
nonprofits will participate in
Mauna Lani Bay Hotel’s Charity
Christmas Tree event, in which
the public and hotel guests will
pay to vote for the trees of their
choice. In addition, volunteers
will also wrap gifts outside Bor-
der’s for donations and to raise
awareness of Habitat.
In mid-November, current vol-
unteers will recruit new volun-
teers at the Kona Lowe’s to help
with the planned Kawaihae
builds. The Kawaihae homes are
supported in part with loans of
$20,000 each from the Office of
Hawaiian Affairs.
The Aloha Kona Chapter of
CRS selected West Hawai`i Habi-
tat to be the beneficiary of a re-
cent fundraiser during the real-
tors’ tradeshow.
Congratulations to the Akini-
Soares Family, who celebrated
the groundbreaking at the site of
their future home in Kawaihae.
Page 2
November 8th marked the home
dedication in Ocean View for
Mary Cho and her three boys, a
long-awaited event.
Riley Cho, Andruw Nakamura, Mary &
Eddie Cho
Hilo
“Thanks to the State grant-in-
aid funding,” said Hilo’s executive
director, Christine Leonard-
Osterwald, “we’ve been able to
add Paul Normann, Resource
Manager, and Arlette Fontes, Re-
source Assistant to our staff. Both
will focus on developing some of
our greatest assets—people and
money.” Mahalo to Bank of Ha-
wai`i for helping these efforts with
a $5,000 contribution.
Hilo has plans to partner with
the Hawai`i Public Housing Au-
thority to perform rehabilitation
work on the Lanakila Housing
Project. Also in the offing—a new
home for Mrs. Lana Kahe`e and
her son Matthew in Keaukaha,
which will be built with support
from local and Lions Club Interna-
tional.
“We’re grateful to Matson
Navigation Company for donating
two containers,” said Christine.
Volume 1, Issue 3
“Coast Guard personnel will strip
and clean the containers, and Ron
Medeiros, a professional painter,
has offered to do the base coat.
Then, under the guidance of Eva
Anderson-Terada of Hilo Art &
Glass Supply, a group of graffiti
artists will decorate our containers.
This is an exciting project,” she
said, “we can’t wait to get started.
The containers will stay in Hilo
Harbor on land temporarily made
available by KTA.
On November 22 and 23, Hilo
Habitat will be part of the annual
Festival of Giving at Prince Kūhiō
Mall. “This would be a good time
for Christmas shopping,” Christine
said, “as all purchases will help to
support the participating non-
profits.”
Kaua`i
Stephen Spears welcomes Anne
Dimock as his new development
director, who comes to Kaua`i
from Minnesota. Two VISTA
members will also come on board
before the end of the year—a vol-
unteer coordinator and a resource
assistant. Congratulations to
Kaua`i Habitat on its growing
staff.
A $6,000 contribution from the
annual Hawai`i Visitor Industry
Charity Walk, enabled Kaua`i to
purchase a trailer for transporting
the organization’s forklift to and
from its various jobsites.
Leeward
Home Depot teams have part-
nered with Leeward on two Adopt-
a-Day builds in addition to donat-
ing a number of items.
Adopt-a-Day builds in addi-
tion to donating a number of
items.
Welcome to Anamarie Piloton,
who came on board this summer to
fulfill the roles of office man-
ager/bookkeeper.
Leeward invites community
members to assist with holiday
gift-wrapping at the Windward
Mall. For more information and to
receive a schedule of available
shifts, please e-mail
leewardhabitat@hotmail.com
Maui
An impressive number of vol-
unteers, 250 in all, worked on a
total of twelve homes at the
Waiehu Kou IV site during the
August Build-a-thon (BAT).
Tasks included installing insula-
tion and drywall, pouring concrete
driveways, setting concrete blocks
in place, assembling cabinets, put-
ting in battens for a finished look,
and landscaping. The volunteers
were ably assisted by some digni-
taries, including Lt. Governor,
Duke Aiona, his liaison, George
Kaya, and Maui County Council-
man, Mike Victorino.
As if that weren’t enough, in the
midst of all this activity, a contrac-
tor, Alternate Energy Source,
showed up unexpectedly to install
solar panels on all the homes. The
Outback Steakhouse provided an
`ono lunch. Swinerton Builders,
one of the BAT corporate teams,
had so much fun, they returned for
a hana hou to finish the home they
had worked on. Mahalo to all who
contributed to the enormous suc-
cess.
Page 3
 Aloha to a valued staff member

Hawai`i Habitat for Humanity wishes to bid aloha to

Rike Weiss, who has served as our Housing Campaign
Coordinator for more than a year. Due to budget cuts,
Rike will be leaving us at the end of November. Rike’s
dedication to the mission of Habitat shined through in
all of the work she has done here, whether it was helping
to guide bills through the legislature, coordinating
awareness events, or getting articles printed in local
news publications. We are sad to have to say goodbye,
but we know her myriad talents will bring her success in
whatever adventure she chooses to embark upon next.
Mahalo a nui loa Rike, for sharing your talents and
friendly smile with us for the past year!

Moloka`i outstanding Habitat

families—the
More than 30 volunteers
Kaneakuas and
worked alongside the Chang
Espositos.
family in Ho`olehua, where
Congratulations
they installed subflooring
to the Kaneakua
and managed to do some
family who will pay
painting.
off its 20-year
mortgage in 2009.
Honolulu Also honored was
Frances Brossy—
Honolulu Habitat cele- Jean
Lilley
, Hon
olu one of the first
brated its 20th anniversary and K lu Habita
aneak t
ua fam exec.direct board members of
with a posh bash at the ily or,
Honolulu Habitat
Wai`alae Country Club.
The first twenty and, after twenty years,
years produced nearly 70 still actively involved.
homes, and the plans are to
step up production consid-
erably in the next five
years.
Anniversary guests par-
ticipated in a silent auction,
played black jack and as-
sorted other games, and sa-
vored a delicious three-
course dinner.
The festivities also in-
Honolulu bd. pres., Michelle Kauhane, Imaye & Dayton Esposito, Jean Lilley
Chan Rowe, Hawai`i Habitat vice pres. cluded recognition of two

Volume 1, Issue 3 page 4

 1164 Bishop St., #510
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: 808- 538-7676
Fax: 808-538-7676
E-mail: info@hawaiihabitat.org
Co-editors:
Rike Weiss &
Mandy Jansen
Hawai`i Habitat
In the last newsletter we
announced proudly and
gratefully that the Governor
had, at last, released our
2007 grant-in-aid. In the
months that followed, the
state support organization
(SSO) continued working
with the Hawai`i Public
Housing Authority (the grant
administrator) to tweak the
contract so that it would fit
the needs of seven affiliates.
The first of that GIA-
money, for operations, didn’t
actually show up in our ac-
count until the end of Octo-
ber, and was immediately
disbursed. We received a
second chunk just this
week—$300,000 earmarked
for construction loans of 15
homes. Each affiliate will
also get a $25,000 grant to
fund a staff position for one
Volume 1, Issue 3
year. The SSO trusts this
boost will be helpful, par-
ticularly for affiliates who
haven’t previously been
able to afford office staff
and those who have been
struggling with fundraising
since the economic down-
turn.
So far the SSO has sent
out more than $750,00 in
grants and loans this year.
We have also identified
state property for Kauai,
Hilo and Honolulu Habitats
and provided work with
Kamehameha Schools
Bishop Estate which is re-
sulting in them funding
homes in a Leeward Habi-
tat project. Meanwhile
$200,000 remains in the
Revolving Loan Fund and it
will soon be joined by an-
other $300,000 allocation
from OHA.
Hawai`i Habitat in the
news: MidWeek’s Novem-
ber 19th issue had a feature
on Kathi and Habitat that is
generating plenty of buzz
and inquiries.
Hawai`i Public Radio will
interview Jean Lilley and
Kathi in December. Watch
for an e-mail regarding air-
date so you can all tune in
to FM88.1 & 89.3 on O`ahu,
FM90.7 Wailuku, and 91.1
Hilo. Kaua`i can pick up the
O`ahu stations.
Mandy Jansen, SSO op-
erations manager, recently
attended a Habitat Green
Building Conference in Ta-
coma to gather the latest in-
formation. Pacific North-
west affiliates have long
been in the forefront of us-
ing green-building technol-
ogy.
The SSO is considering
hosting a Hawai`i conference
that would bring together
experts in the field.
page 4