Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke

Double Kupuna Cottage

Rick — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 21:30:03 +0000

Students are now working on a double kupuna (elder) cottage for two sisters who are house-bound and living with extended family. The new cottage will give these deserving kupuna a space of their own, while surrounded by the love and care of their ʻohana (family).

Molokai – Round 2

Rick — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 21:30:55 +0000

Our graduate apprentices returned to Molokaʻi last month to help nonprofit Ka Honua Momona finish building projects at their fishponds restoration site. Working alongside Molokaʻi builders, our grads were able to share their own expertise and put their leadership skills to practice outside of East Maui.

Alu Like Remodel

Rick — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:30:38 +0000

When the office of local nonprofit Alu Like showed signs of falling apart, creating hazardous working conditions for the staff, our students came in to do a floor-to-ceiling remodel …

Lessons in the Shop

Rick — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:30:05 +0000

This winter, mentors have come into the program to generously share their time teaching our kids how to use hand-planers, and how to create incredible stained glass mosaics …

Emergency Shower for Handicap Access

Rick — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:30:24 +0000

Students responded to the emergency need of a local auntie, who needed a handicap-access means of bathing herself after a stroke made it impossible for her to access her shower. She now has a wheelchair-accessible shower, complete with beautiful tile mosaics, created alongside the cottage our kids built for her several years ago.

Winter Retrofits

Rick — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:30:51 +0000

In January, our youth answered the call of Hana’s Family Resource Center, ʻOhana Makamae, when they requested a handicap ramp to help clients better access their facilities. Our kids also recently retrofitted two local houses with grab bars and handicap-access toilets, to help prevent falls and injury. And they built a ramp for a local uncle, who had a tragic spinal cord injury and became paralyzed and wheelchair-bound.

Family House Complete

Rick — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:29:37 +0000

Our students put the finishing touches on the rebuild of a local home that had recently burned down, including a solar-heated shower and full kitchen … the family is now moved in!

Solar Photovoltaic System for Kupuna

Rick — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:00:14 +0000

Our youth were able to work with a licensed solar installer, to create a large 7-kilowatt grid inter-tie system for a Hana kupuna (elder). The family required this level of system to offset their high electrical bill caused by the elder being on a respirator 24/7. The project allowed our kids to learn about large grid-tied systems by doing the work themselves—a type of system our program has never done before—while meeting the needs of our Hana kupuna.

Awards – UPDATE

Rick — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:30:04 +0000

• 2011 Maui County Mayor’s Laulima Award for environmental leadership

• 2010 Hawaiʻi State Governor’s Innovation Award

• 2009 Tiny Malaikini Mea Kokua Award for selfless giving to the Hana community

• 2009 Certificate of Commendation from Hawai‘i State Governor for Hana dialysis center

• 2009 Resolution from Maui County Council for national exposure on Discovery Channel

• 2008 Laulima Vocational Service Award from Kahului Rotary Club

• 2004 Native Hawaiian Nonprofit of the Year Award from Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement

• 2001 Rick Rutiz honored as 1 of 10 People Who Made a Difference by The Maui News

Solar Bath Mosaic

Rick — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:00:27 +0000

This sailing canoe mosaic was student-created out of donated tile—it’s now installed in a student-built bathhouse at a local kupuna (elder) home, which will soon house a solar hot-water system.