Mahalo nui to our PIPES intern Evy for contributing to our summer blog posts! And mahalo to Kaipo Kukahiko, KEY Project’s Executive Director, for his input and assistance.
Aloha mai kākou! KUA has moved into its new location on the beautiful east side of Oʻahu in Kahaluʻu of Koʻolaupoko. KUA is now located in the Kahaluʻu multi-purpose community center, a perfect location for community activities and gatherings. The center is already home to the community-organized Kualoa-Heʻeia Ecumenical Youth (KEY) Project that works “to nurture and promote cultural, environmental, social, economic, and recreational well-being of this area” by promoting community engaging activities and educational programs that help the community as a whole become stronger with the support of one another.
Together, KUA and the KEY project complement each other to provide resources and information that community members of all ages can utilize. For over 47 years, the KEY Project has been providing programs and services to everyone from youth to seniors on the Windward side. A few of the programs KEY currently provides are the “Holomua Program” for keiki transitioning from elementary to intermediate school and the “Kīpuka Cafe Culinary Experience,” a 6 week course introducing fundamental skills in the kitchen. KEY holds many community events like family movie nights, Ohana Bingo, and a Kūpuna Breakfast providing free breakfasts to seniors twice a week. KEY is also host to other organizations like Tutu and Me, Waipahu School for Adults-Windward Campus, Hoʻomaikaʻi Hula Hālau, and Hope Chapel Kahaluʻu just to name a few. Along with all these wonderful programs and events, KEY provides many resources in this multi-purpose facility such as computer labs, smart boards, and professional quality rooms that make it convenient for the community center to be used for gatherings, conferences, and classes. The opportunities are endless, the KEY project has not only provided KUA with a new home, but has also provided new ways for KUA to engage in the surrounding community.
KUA looks forward to what is to come and the opportunities that may arise to help move the community forward together to a stronger tomorrow.
