Kuala Goines, who suffers from degenerative arthritis and diabetes, feared that she would have to go into a group home to cope with her care requirements.

Luckily, the 63-year-old secured one of only 45 spots in the Waikiki Friendly Neighbors program, a Waikiki Health Center outreach that provides seniors, who live in the district, with free basic assistance and companionship.

"Without these volunteers, there would be no one to help me," said Goines, who lost her health insurance at the end of last year when her husband’s employer dropped dependent coverage. "I’m one of those persons who had fallen through the cracks."

Though Goines and her working husband barely make ends meet, she said other programs had turned them away because they were just over the income requirements or under the age requirements.

While the program does much to help seniors and to give their families and friends needed breaks, there is an urgent need to recruit and train more volunteers, said Friendly Neighbors Program Manager Dallas Walker.

The program’s 20 community volunteers and 12 student volunteers, who are doing an internship rotation for Hawaii Pacific University’s nursing program, can’t keep up with Waikiki’s growing senior population.

"We’ve got 14 people on a waiting list," Walker said. "It’s only going to get worse if we don’t find more volunteers."

According to the latest 2010 census, Waikiki’s senior population grew by 12 percent from 2000 and now makes up more than a quarter of its population, he said.

"We have a lot of seniors who have retired to Waikiki, and the high cost of living means that a lot of them don’t have children here," Goines said. "I know there are a lot of people in Waikiki who need help."

The center has begun a major push to bring more volunteers onboard before the holidays, when demand for assistance is higher, Walker said.

Some Waikiki seniors have no support or emergency contact on Oahu and need help eating, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, walking, preparing meals, shopping, managing money, using the phone, doing housework or using public transportation, he said.

Since many of these seniors live in subsidized housing, Walker said that some would become homeless without volunteers to help them keep their homes inspection-ready.

Goines said she relies heavily on volunteers. A cadre of helpers pick up her food, dust, clean and do laundry. They also clean out her refrigerator, prep her food and help her cook.

The program also provides needed companionship, Walker said.

"Many of our clients have no family or support on the island," he said.

While seniors often are attracted to Waikiki because of its proximity to beaches and convenience to shops, restaurants and public transportation, the prevalence of condominium living makes it difficult for them to find resources and friends.

Friendly Neighbors works to bridge this gap, said volunteer Nan Dudoit, who has volunteered for the program for about a decade and has worked with more than seven seniors.

She currently shops for a Waikiki senior every Friday. In the past, she’s baked brownies and done other jobs to bring cheer.

"Each one has their own individual needs," she said.

More information and volunteer forms are available on Waikiki Health Center’s website at www.waikikihc.org/friendlyneighbors.