Volunteers provide lunch, essentials to the homeless around Oahu

It was Christmas Eve morning and all through the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine’s Waiola Cafe in Kakaako, about 30 volunteers were stirring as they prepared lunch plates of rice, corn and ham and packed bags with toiletries, hygiene products, flashlights and other essential items to be distributed to the homeless in Honolulu’s urban core.

The holiday distribution was conducted by JABSOM’s Hawaii Homeless Outreach and Medical Education (H.O.M.E.) Project, a student- run, free clinic that aims to improve access to health care for homeless people and bring awareness of their needs to the health care community.

The project’s clinic sites and mobile health van are staffed by volunteers who include UH faculty and premedical students, JABSOM medical students and resident physicians from Tripler Army Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente Hawaii.

“It’s just something we wanted to do, at least for the holidays,” said Executive Director Jill Omori. “A lot of times organizations do provide things for the kids (at shelters) … but we wanted to do something for the houseless on the streets who might not be getting access to some holiday things at the shelters.”

The Christmas Eve distributions have been going on for about 10 years, Omori said. Saturday’s efforts were focused in Kakaako, Iwilei, Chinatown and Makiki, although Taha Elwir, Hawaii H.O.M.E. Project’s lead volunteer, went to Ewa Beach to hand out some of the kits.

“It’s very rewarding. That’s my favorite part of doing all these events, when you’re handing out all these things that you know will positively impact these individuals’ lives,” Elwir said. “You feel like you’re making some change in the world.”

In addition to offering medical services year-round, Hawaii H.O.M.E. Project holds events for the homeless throughout the year, including other Christmas events and for other holidays such as Halloween.

A lot of the food and some of the essential items that were distributed Saturday were donated — the kind of generosity the project often relies on, according to Elwir.

Although many who received lunches and kits Saturday appreciated the gesture, the fact there are people in Hawaii who need that kind of help is a potent reminder that more needs to be done to reduce homelessness.

“Don’t just keep people in positions where they can’t help themselves,” said Nessa Vierra, who was one of about a dozen people near the Smith Beretania Park in the downtown area who were offered lunches and kits Saturday morning.

Vierra said the cycle of assessing and treating homeless people but not providing them with more stability and security, especially by offering permanent housing, doesn’t really solve the problems associated with homelessness.

Newly inaugurated Gov. Josh Green has said addressing affordable housing and homelessness are among his priorities.