ANAHOLA — Two days of capacity crews saw three houses in Anahola’s Pi‘ilani Mai Ke Kai subdivision emerge from the red dirt during the Kaua‘i Habitat for Humanity Build-a-thon. The Kaua‘i Board of Realtors partnered with the Kaua‘i Habitat for
ANAHOLA — Two days of capacity crews saw three houses in Anahola’s Pi‘ilani Mai Ke Kai subdivision emerge from the red dirt during the Kaua‘i Habitat for Humanity Build-a-thon.
The Kaua‘i Board of Realtors partnered with the Kaua‘i Habitat for Humanity for the two-day affordable housing build event which will benefit three families in Phase I one the Department of Hawaiian Homes subdivision.
In addition to providing physical labor for the project, realtors also helped raise money for the Kaua‘i Habitat for Humanity through online solicitations and other pledges made in support of the contributor’s favorite realtor or real estate agency.
Participating real estate companies include Hawai‘i Life Real Estate Brokers, Oceanfront Realty International, Kaua‘i Dreams Realty, Coldwell Banker-Makai Properties, ReMax Kapa‘a, Sleeping Giant Sotheby’s, Aloha Island Properties, Kaua‘i Dream Homes, Coldwell Banker-Bali Hai, Century 21 Princeville and Maile Properties of Kaua‘i.
“I’m proud to see us moving forward in collaboration with the Kaua‘i Habitat for Humanity,” said Matt Beall, president of the Kaua‘i Board of Realtors and an owner of Hawai‘i Life Real Estate Brokers. “This is the culmination of a couple of years of meetings and planning and it’s a perfect fit for the realtor community and its commitment to providing housing on Kaua‘i.”
Coinciding with the build event, Michelle Kauhane, deputy director for Hawaiian Homes, was given a tour of the activity by Anahola Community Association president Lorraine Rapozo, both individuals pleased with the progress being made in the arid red dust.
“She (Kauhana) was here on vacation and had to check out what was going on since she lives in a Hawaiian Homes project in Kapolei,” Rapozo said. “We have a lot of realtors and real estate people and some community people helping, too.”
Leonard and Cecelia Mahoe of ‘Ele‘ele were among those helping in the shadow of the “King Kong Mountain.”
“We got up this morning and said we just had to come and help,” Leonard said, remembering how the community rallied around him to help him build his home. “We have a lot of good people who live on this island and how can you not help?”
The weekend’s work will see houses rise for the Kamaka Fernandez, Keola Ka‘aihue-Paopao, and Kaipo and Lovey Napoleon families.
“He’s (Kamaka) waited a long time for this,” said Phyllis Miyake, whose volunteer label read “Family Friend.”
The silent smile painted across Kaipo Napoleon, manning the registration tent, displayed the pride of what was taking place.
“The goal of Kaua‘i Habitat for Humanity’s Build-a-thon events are to raise money, support and awareness for the affordable housing crisis on Kaua‘i,” said Stephen Spears, executive director for the Kaua‘i Habitat for Humanity, who donned workshirts for the two days. “We are thrilled the Kaua‘i Board of Realtors is joining us in this important effort. Rising housing and land costs have increased the demand for safe, affordable housing on Kaua‘i. With more than 1,800 families interested in partnering with us, the need for affordable homes on Kaua‘i is greater than ever.”
Milani Pimental of Kaua‘i Habitat for Humanity said in addition to building new homes, they are also seeking out homes which need repair, triggering Rapozo to volunteer a list of homes in the Anahola area which could possibly qualify.
“These homes belong to older people who can’t physically do the work themselves and do not have the financial resources to have the work done,” she said. “I’m in the process of picking up applications now.”
The weekend’s Build-a-thon is Kaua‘i Habitat’s seventh Build-a-thon event which directly addresses the need for affordable housing on Kaua‘i by providing an opportunity for the community to help raise money and raise walls for the cause, a release states.
“We have a lot more community volunteers, and even some tradesmen from the South Shore,” Pimental said, Sunday. “Our Americorps volunteers are on their last week here and helping as site supervisors on each of the sites.”
The Kaua‘i Board of Realtors, chartered by the National Association of Realtors in 1974, currently represents more than 500 Realtor members and 25 affiliate members. The Kaua‘i Board of Realtors is a nonprofit corporation which provides community resource information yet relies totally on membership dues as the main source of income.
Its annual giving project, helping the island’s children in community with the “KBR School Supply Drive” started in 1999. Annual purchases, funded by realtors, are provided to the six public middle and high school Parent Community Netowrk Coordinators for distribution to students.
The second KBR project, an annual FUN fundraising event for the Scholarship Fund, was started in 2002. Since then, KBR has issued scholarships to more than 90 students, including nine scholarships which were presented this year.
