Donation builds new kitchen for The Salvation Army

LIHU‘E — The Salvation Army, Lihu‘e Corps is getting a new kitchen, and other facility improvements due in part to a large donation from the Lois and Fred Coleman Estate.

“It’s warm in here,” said The Salvation Army Capt. Shawn Keoho, the commanding officer at the Lihu‘e Corps who took the family of Lois and Fred Coleman on a tour of the Lihu‘e facility on Sunday. The family was visiting from the various parts of the mainland to offer their respects at the Lydgate family plot.

“This is the kitchen where we’ll be using the donation to improve and renovate to get to Certified Kitchen standards,” Keoho said. “The donation also covers other areas of the Lihu‘e Corps that have already been worked on.”

Jennifer Rinker and Stephen Haack are the administrators of the Estate and were part of the family tour.

“I’m the niece of Lois who was one of the three girls in the Lydgate family,” Rinker said. “Lois was a strong believer in The Salvation Army programs, and an active participant in many of the programs during her time here. One of the conditions of the donation is that it was for Kaua‘i, and she would be very happy to know that the funds are being used for a new kitchen.”

Lois and Fred were owner operators for several restaurants on Kaua‘i, including the Lihu‘e Airport restaurant that featured the Menehune Bar with the swinging doors, Ed and Don’s in “the Round Building,” now the Mo‘ikeha Building, and the Sea Shell Restaurant located across Kuhio Highway from the famed Coco Palms Resort.

Kyle Karioka with The Salvation Army Hawaiian &Pacific Islands Division said that work on upgrading the Lihu‘e Corps already started with new flooring for the dining area, new doors, several of which were expanded in size from the existing doors, and upgraded bathroom facilities.

Capt. Keoho said the ceilings for the dining area and chapel have been replaced, the lighting upgraded to Light Emitting Diode energy efficient systems, and a new paint coating has already been applied to the upgraded areas. A special plaque thanking the Lois and Fred Coleman Estate is already in the plans for the completed kitchen.