WAIMEA — Waste Management manager John Ruiz was joined by Ian Imamura and Lenny Rapozo, the county’s director of the Department of Parks and Recreation and Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.’s campaign coordinator, in presenting an award of $1,500 to Waimea
WAIMEA — Waste Management manager John Ruiz was joined by Ian Imamura and Lenny Rapozo, the county’s director of the Department of Parks and Recreation and Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.’s campaign coordinator, in presenting an award of $1,500 to Waimea High School culinary arts instructor Kui Souza, recently.
“At Waste Management, we believe in the keiki,” Ruiz said. “Fortunately, our bosses feel the same way and approved this help for the Waimea High School culinary arts program to help the program with purchases.”
Ruiz said this was the first assistance Waste Management has done for Waimea High School and hopes to develop a continuing program.
Waste Management has assistance programs with the Kekaha Elementary School where it provides gifts and prizes for the school’s annual school-wide Recycling Contest. It also stepped forward to help with the development of the school’s garden to provide students hands-on instruction with some of the island’s native plants.
‘Ele‘ele Elementary School has also been the recipient of Waste Management kokua during its Career Day programs and other school-wide programs where Waste Management personnel, headed by Ruiz, have visited the school to work with students in the areas of recycling and the environment.
“Kui and I not only live near each other,” Ruiz said. “We also coach sports together and one day, he was talking about needing some help.”
The conversation opened the doors to Waste Management coming through with the gift, which would allow Souza to procure food and other supplies that students use to prepare meals for special guests to the schools, parents and guests to the annual Career and Health Day.
“The problem with food is that once you use it, it’s gone,” Souza said. “The budget only covers so much, and if the students make a mistake, it’s gone. There’s no re-using it.”
The same situation applies to other perishable items, such as food wrap.
“There’s only so much you can do with the budget, and it’s this kind of community support — from parents as well as business organizations such as Waste Management and The Kukui‘ula Development Co. — that allows students to learn,” Souza said. “Today, we have students from the Public and Human Services class with an emphasis on Food Service and people skills. Without the help provided by Waste Management and others, these kids would not be able to do what they are doing. We have been very fortunate with people helping with donations.”
He explained that funds from donations are used to help with repair and maintenance as well as procuring equipment not covered in the budget. Funds are also used to purchase food and supplies.
Souza said his long-term goal for the culinary program is to get the kitchen certified, a goal which is easier said than done because his classroom/kitchen is housed in a building, which is more than a hundred years old on the Waimea campus.
“There is a historical aspect to the building,” Souza said. “One of the big steps toward certification is we need to create a wall separating the kitchen and the classroom. This has to go through the state’s Department of Accounting and General Services, but there is the matter of the hanging ceiling lights.
Rapozo said it was appropriate Ruiz brought the matter to the mayor’s attention after Ruiz and Souza both commented, “Together, We Can,” Carvalho’s campaign slogan during the last election.
Rapozo unveiled a supply of bumper stickers which added to the campaign slogan — “Together We Can. Together, We Will.”
