LIHUE — Plantation Coffee Company is usually busy with people ordering specialty coffee drinks.
Saturday morning, it was busy with people getting makeovers — and as Stephanie Shinno put it, “a whole lotta love.”
“We just want to make them feel good,” she said. “And it shows we can do events like this to help each other. I’m just proud of my daughter.”
Aaliyah Keala Nero, founder of Keala’s Big Sister Club, Inc., held her second makeover service project for four women in the “Love the Journey Program,” which helps those recovering from drug and alcohol addictions and working toward maintaining a healthy, clean lifestyle.
Volunteers pitched in and did facials, styled hair, put on makeup, and basically, pampered their clients. One volunteer was Kawaika Kualii, manager of Planation Coffee Company.
“We all are recovering and so I just want to make them feel pretty inside,” he said. “And we just want to give back to the community, and help Keala, too.”
The 12-year-old has not forgotten the hard times when she and her mom were homeless and living at the YWCA, and so many people helped them.
It led her to start Keala’s Big Sister Club, Inc. in February 2015.
Since then, she has dedicated much of her time to giving back. Many lives have been impacted.
“When I help them I get a good feeling,” Keala said. “I want to be a doctor when I get older so I’m helping people.”
Relationships are important to Keala. She wants to meet and get to know others, learn about their lives, so she can offer help when needed.
“So they will feel good about themselves,” Keala said.
In the past three years, she has collected donations for gift cards to give away to those who could use a boost. She has been a guest speaker, encouraging youth to volunteer. And last year was her first makeover service project.
Others have noticed her efforts.
She was honored by the county as a recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award for putting in 113 community service hours in 2016. She also received the The Daily Point of Light Award earlier this year, which goes to individuals who create meaningful change in their communities.
“A lot of times, there’s not that aloha spirit, so we’re just trying to make it in small ways,” Shinno said.
Lauren Kalima appreciated it.
She received a makeover Saturday. She smiled as Kualii styled her hair and Keala watched and learned.
“Pretty good,” she said when asked how she was feeling.
And as for Keala and her efforts, Kalima said, “It’s good, yeah.”
Shinno said she knows what it feels like to be facing difficult circumstances and the future is uncertain. That’s why they wanted to do the service project for those who might appreciate an understanding word.
“We had situations in our background where we didn’t feel worthy, we didn’t feel beautiful,” she said. “We had a lot of hatred in our lives, so we wanted them to know that it’s OK, it doesn’t matter about your background, you’re precious, you’re beautiful.”
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Bill Buley, editor-in-chief, can be reached at 245-0457 or bbuley@thegardenisland.com.
