Rehabilitation Unlimited Kauai in Wailua will celebrate Friday, Dec. 6 their tenth anniversary in conjunction with the dedication of their new coconut production wing. An open house will be held from 12:30 to 5 p.m. with dedication ceremonies beginning at
Rehabilitation Unlimited Kauai in Wailua will celebrate Friday, Dec. 6 their tenth anniversary in conjunction with the dedication of their new coconut production wing. An open house will be held from 12:30 to 5 p.m. with dedication ceremonies beginning at 1 p.m. There will be entertainment and refreshments will be served.
RUK is a private eleemosynary organization. It was started Nov. 8, 1958 with five clients and today has a total of 84 clients. The oldest client is 78 years old and the youngest, 15.
The total facility was built in increments, starting with the women’s craft area as the first structure and working back toward the newest building addition housing the coconut production area which opened in summer of this year.
Monies for the establishment of Rehab. on Kauai were pooled from various organizations: Cancer, T.B., Heart, Mental Retardation and Crippled Children. Until RUK opened its doors it was impossible to determine just how many people could be served. It was soon realized that they could serve other handicapped persons in the community and that their prime service could be in training them toward becoming either financially independent or allowing them to supplement a small already existing monthly allowance.
RUK has now grown into a vocational rehabilitation center. Their program evolves around evaluation, training, sheltered workshop, work study and job placement. The minimum requirements for admittance to RUK is that the client referee be ambulatory, able to take care of personal needs and show some vocational potential.
Types of services offered by RUK are; 1. Prevocational Evaluation and Exploration. The determination of assets, interests, as well as limitations in terms of mental, physical, psychological and social capabilities and potentials. 2. Training. Specialized training in a skill or skills for employment in the community, the sheltered workshop or for homebound work.
3. Work and Personal Adjustment. Development and or correction of work habits, attitudes and adjustment within employment conditions and standards after hospitalization or prolonged unemployment. 4. Work Study Program. The special education vocational experience program has been designed for some of the students at Kauai High School and Kapaa High School in special educable classes.
5. Program for the Aging. To establish the needs of aged persons who wish to supplement their income. 6. Sheltered Workshop Employment. Full time employment with RUK on an employer-employee basis following standards of the Department of Labor. 7. Training In Service Industries. Provide training within service industries such as hotels, restaurants, domestic services and retail shops.
8. Placement and Follow up Services for Employable Clients. Continuous contact with employer and employee to satisfy the needs both as they occur on the job. 9. Homebound Program. Provide assistance in home industry by offering instruction getting supplies, materials and equipment.
The RUK also maintains a gift shop which is open five days a week, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is constantly stocked with items from the coconut workshop as well as those from the women’s craft area. An attempt is made to manufacture new and unique articles utilizing local materials. To meet this end the clients go on field trips to collect shells, beach glass, various seeds and of course, coconuts. The manufactured articles are not only sold at the gift shop but to wholesale and retail stores throughout the state and the mainland.
The gift shop is run by some of the clients as a part of their training and evaluation program as well as by a group of volunteers who generously devote part of a day each week to helping in the sales of their products. Presently there are four volunteers who serve in the afternoons, the Mesdames Marge Junghaene, Sam Wilcox, Charles Oyagi and Bob Packard.
The preceding programs are implemented by a trained staff including managing director, Gary Fifield; production supervisor, Hiromu Seshiki; yardwork supervisor, Hitoshi Fujimoto; women’s supervisor, Katherine Rivera; assistant women’s supervisor, Gayle Bakiano; office and sales manager, Frances Rego and production and evaluator placement, Carol Rayno.
Former managers of RUK are Leonard M. Lizama, Jay Peterman, Jack Odo and David Murata. Mr. Fifield has been manager four years.
Serving as board of directors of RUK are, president, Abel Medeiros; Vice president, Mrs. Mabel Haas; secretary, Mrs. Laura Asari and treasurer, Robert Wilson. Immediate past president is Morris Shinsato.
RUK Is now developing a proposed satellite workshop for the Westside (Hanapepe area) to accommodate clients already trained in the community who cannot work outside in the community or cannot tolerate the long bus ride to Wailua. The Wailua facility will continue to be used for evaluation and training for those clients who will use the Hanapepe facility.
The Hanapepe workshop would be started with a small program to ascertain community acceptance and need. The initial response has been most encouraging.
