LIHUE — Since 2000, Kauai resident Marilyn Mohler has been dedicated to helping Kauai’s single-parent families.
Mohler is the founder of Na Makua Hookahi O Kauai, a nonprofit that continues to rise to the occasion, helping those families with meals, housing, monetary aid, transportation, birthday parties and much more.
This week, The Garden Island chatted with Mohler about the nonprofit’s work, her own experience as the daughter of a single mother and some of the families who have inspired her over the years.
The Garden Island: First, please tell our readers a little about your background.
Marilyn Mohler: I grew up in Anahola and graduated from Kapaa High School in 1971. My dad died in October of 1965. I’m a mother of three sons — two of them live on the Mainland with their families in St. Louis, Mo. and Dana Point, Calif. — and a grandmother to six grandchildren (three granddaughters and three grandsons). My third son lives here on Kauai and works for the family construction business building residential homes for 36 years. My husband Mark has been very supportive of me and we celebrated 41 years of marriage on Dec. 9.
TGI: What motivated you to found Hui O Na Makua Hookahi O Kauai?
MM: From 1998-1999 I worked at the Kapaa Elementary as the clerk for the Mokihana Project with four different psychologists on campus, as well as with the after-school program in the tutoring center as the supervisor. The students would ask me for food and I soon learned that some of them didn’t eat for two or three days and came from single-parent homes. I know firsthand what it is to have been raised by a single parent. I told my husband we needed to do something. I went to the Kauai Independent Food Bank and was told that only 501(c)3 nonprofits could access the food bank. So I applied for nonprofit status and was IRS approved in September of 2000.
TGI: What does the name mean and how did you settle on it?
MM: During the first year, I asked the mothers to come up with the name. One of the mothers went to her Hawaiian kumu and translated “Single Mothers of Kauai” and that is how Hui O Na Makuahine Hookahi O Kauai was born. However, the name was later changed to Hui O Na Makua (Single Parents of Kauai) because we also work with single fathers. We are now serving grandparents raising their grandchildren as well.
TGI: I understand you and your siblings were raised by a single mother. Can you talk about that experience?
MM: There were eight of us, four sons and four daughters. My 27-year-old stepmother focused on raising all of us by herself. She wanted all of the children, especially my brothers, to know how to cook and do laundry in case they did not marry and they could take care of themselves (My brothers are all great chefs). We all had jobs, we helped each other, we learned how to sew and cook through 4-H clubs. My mom was the leader and we learned to live off the land by fishing, crabbing, picking up opihi and limu kohu to sell. And, we all had bikes and different routes to deliver The Garden Island and the Honolulu Star Bulletin for eight years as our family business.
TGI: What is your approach to helping families in need? Do you try to help as many as possible all at once or one at a time?
MM: The first year there were six families that I saw. They needed help so I organized a beach day for them to come together and to get to know each other. To let them know they were not alone. Then it turned into combining the birthdays for the children who had birthdays in the same month to celebrate as a group because the mothers did not have the funds to throw a party for their child. The Hui hosted those get-togethers until the children grew up. The Hui also hosted annual Thanksgiving luncheons and Christmas parties for 13 years, and Toys for Tots has given to the group for the children.
The past two years we were asked to participate with another 501(c)3 nonprofit Ka Hale Pono, Inc. President La Contrades with Thanksgiving and feeding the kupunas (elderly) as well as the families in Anahola. The other event we helped with was to feed the volunteers from the Mainland who came to help build two homes in Anahola.
TGI: What are some of the biggest struggles out there for single parent families?
MM: In December, we were referred to a 36-year-old Caucasian mother with a 5-year-old son who came from the Mainland to seek employment on the Big Island. It didn’t work out and she was told to come to Kauai, where she camped in Anahola. I found out that she was an only child. Both of her parents died early and she did not have any family that she could go back to on the Mainland.
One day a homeless person stole the only things this mother had — it was the only towel and her son’s backpack that had his shoes in it. Before I got involved with her, several of the residents in Anahola helped her with much needed things after the two storms in December. A mother of five children was able to give the 5-year-old some clothes. And a lifeguard who had twins the same age as the 5-year-old gave her shoes, money, a new tent, towels and food. I did three loads of wash for her because of the storm, bought her food (vegetarian), brought her towels that were given to our group from one of the hotels, as well as a blanket, cooking pots and pans, flash lights and chairs. We’re happy to report that after two weeks of camping in Anahola she made contact with a friend from Maui and it took two days working with her to get her ready for her trip to the airport. Her friend on Maui had housing and a job waiting for her.
TGI: Any idea how many people the nonprofit has helped out over the years?
MM: We have helped over 600 families since the Hui’s inception. It is harder to hear from grandparents who are struggling to help raise and feed their grandchildren while living on their fixed income and their adult children that cannot find work. They look forward to the one day a month when we do our distributions.
TGI: Can you think of a particular person or family that inspired you? What did you learn from them?
MM: I think the person that has inspired me most was my stepmom. She focused on raising the children before herself.
TGI: Is it true you were considering shutting down the nonprofit? What changed your mind?
MM: We count ourselves very blessed and thank God that we are able to serve these families. I have had thoughts of shutting down because of low funding and we always seems to have generous people here on the island and abroad — including California and Honolulu — who have the heart to give to our organization to keep us going. It is always brought to mind that if we shut down the children will be the ones to suffer. When funds are low and we are not able to serve the families they are referred to the food pantries near where they live.
TGI: What are your long-term goals for Hui O Na Makua Ho’okahi O Kauai?
MM: Educating mothers and children so that they can make better choices for themselves that will make their lives better. The long-term goals are very daunting to think about because after many years of hearing the different stories, struggles as well as the different needs of the families, I’m glad that they are able to get help from the agencies that are well established. I do not want to duplicate programs that are already in the community, but I have always wanted to have a safe place of our own to educate young people to learn basic life skills. When I was growing up, we learned how to take care for our family. When the two hurricanes (Iwa & Iniki) hit the island my sister and I knew how to take care of our families and others in our community. A few years back when there were two families living on the beach, I would pick up the children from school for our first cooking class and we would plan the menu for the first day. On the second day, we would shop for the ingredients. They did the cooking and took the food home for their dinner that night. Having access to a certified kitchen would be nice for cooking, class and fundraising. For three years, we were able to send eight children to Eileen’s Custom Sewing School and she taught them to make quilts, garments, etc. The children love it.
TGI: What is one thing most people don’t know about the nonprofit that you think they should?
MM: We are a grassroots nonprofit organization that has no paid staff. We are all volunteers. Several of the mothers that the Hui has helped in the past are now giving back with their talents. One of the mothers was the treasurer/bookkeeper, another secretary and another the food shopper for the organization. Our mission statement is ‘To improve the socio-economic well-being of single mother households on the island of Kauai who are dependent on government assisted programs for their subsistence and assist them in becoming self-sufficient.’
Info: Marilyn Mohler at 639-1070 or MarilynMohler33@aol.com.
