KILAUEA — After a meeting with community partners a few months ago, Anaina Hou Community Park of Kilauea introduced a new program, The Haven, on their premises on Monday, and held a free grand-opening event.
“Our objective is to keep kids safe, engaged with their still-limitless futures and dreams, and to ensure that they have what they need to secure employment and begin building careers they love and that will sustain them and their family someday,” said Jill Lowry, park executive director.
Lowry explained how the idea of the The Haven was born of a stakeholders’ meeting hosted by the Kauai Planning & Action Alliance a few months ago to discuss the need for wrap-around engagement opportunities throughout the county to combat the effects of how COVID-19.
“The virus has totally disrupted youth’s lives on every level,” Lowry said. “It became apparent that there were no services on the North Shore, and we felt we had a responsibility to change that.”
The Haven came together astonishingly fast, she said, as volunteers offered their talents in filmmaking, music, art, movement, web design, and other areas.
“We were blessed by a few generous donors who provided us some initial seed money to get started,” Lowry said. “Equipment has also been donated, including from Princeville Utilities, which generously donated 15 ‘ukelele. Subsequently, we are actively writing grants to further support all phases of The Haven.”
Lowry said The Haven at the park is a multi-age, two-part program specifically designed to collaborate with other local organizations, volunteers, and interested community members to create a safe space for junior- and high-school youth amidst the educational, social, and economic turmoil created by COVID-19.
According to Lowry, the first part of The Haven is about rebuilding or facilitating connections with youngsters’ creative, imaginative and exploratory side.
Much of what has been available to students has been through distance learning, though this has resulted in the loss of hands-on electives that encourage the use of the right brain, stimulate creative problem-solving, encourage teamwork and help young people identify what gets their blood pumping in excitement, she said.
Lowry said the second part of The Haven offers specific, youth-oriented employment services that an adult might have access to, but with a higher level of sensitivity and support in mitigating the challenges of new or first-time job-seekers.
“This part of The Haven will roll out the first of April, and if it ends up being a program that is found to be not only well-received but crucial, we will look at opening a permanent, dedicated, youth-employment program to support any young person 21 or younger,” Lowry said.
The Haven is designed for those ages 12 to 18. They are allowed to attend the program from Monday to Thursday, 2 to 6 p.m.
Lowry instructs parents to sign their teens up each evening for the following day if they are interested in them attending. An application must be filled out by a parent or guardian before the teen can attend for the first time.
There are safety guidelines to follow when arriving at The Haven. Lowry said all youth have their temperature taken on arrival, will be asked to apply hand sanitizer, and must wear masks the entire time at The Haven.
All youth are welcome to participate in whatever enrichment classes are available each day. All instruction, materials, and snacks are provided.
Lowry said The Haven is being operated this year on a self-identifying, sliding scale from $0 to $35 per day due to how economically damaged the community is.
“We do not want to add further stress in parent’s lives to prove their financial challenges to us,” Lowry said.
“We ask those who can to pay what they can. If a family cannot pay anything but has a talent they would like to share with the youth, that’s great. If nothing can be contributed, we ask that they pay it forward sometime in the future to someone else in need.”
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Stephanie Shinno, features, education, business, and community reporter can be reached at 245-0424 or sshinno@thegardenisland.com.
