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Can homelessness be ended on Maui? People of Maui, are you like me? Do you "hope" that we can put an end to homelessness? Do you "hope" for a day when everyone on Maui will have a place they can call home?
What is hope?
Hope is the confidence of, the faith of, the anticipation of and the courage to not give up on an expected result.
Some of us have been on the front lines against hunger and homelessness for more years than we care to count. Without a shared hope (expected result) of eradicating homelessness, we could not continue the work we do. We cannot lose that hope!
At Feed My Sheep, we continually see people who, without us, would not have enough food to eat. This responsibility is both heartbreaking and overwhelming. We would not be able to continue this work if we didn't hope for a time when people no longer need our services. This heartbreak would be too heavy to carry if we did not hold on to that hope.
Why am I telling you this? I am not trying to bring attention to myself or to Feed My Sheep, but I want to help you understand the heart that goes behind the people, organizations and nonprofits involved in the Maui Homeless Alliance.
These are people who have the courage to not give up; the people who hold on to the hope that because of their work, the suffering caused by homelessness will not only be alleviated but also eliminated.
Recently, some people have shared concerns (some for and some against) the islandwide homeless camp cleanups, aka sweeps. Contrary to common belief, the people living in these encampments are not surprised by these sweeps and the cleanups are handled with compassion. Multiple notices are given starting several weeks in advance, and during this time outreach workers meet with these folks to offer help finding suitable places to live. Some will accept this help while others move on and refuse services.
These sweeps are a clash between the needs of the community and the needs of the homeless. Because many homeless camps are on beaches, in parks and public areas, the cleanups are necessary for public safety and are handled in a reasonable manner. A few will take advantage of services available, and others will move on to another location until they are asked to move again. This may not seem like the best solution, but it is, for now, the only feasible remedy available.
The Homeless Alliance is filled with empathetic people who are tirelessly working on solutions for the homeless on Maui. I know a Hawaiian family who was helped because of a beach cleanup effort. They are an older couple raising grandchildren. For years, they wanted to be left alone and told me that they did not want to live in a home because they preferred living on the beach.
It took a while, but they eventually realized that their grandchildren needed a safer, more secure place to live. When an outreach worker offered to help this family find a home, they decided to accept the offer and stop living in a van on the beach. I still see them on occasion, and they are good friends of Feed My Sheep. When they talk about their home, this family is very grateful to have a safe place to live and are proud of how well the children are doing in school now that they have a place to call home.
It is stories like this that help me hold onto the hope for a homeless-free Maui. A very good and wise friend of mine once said, "Everyone wants to live in a home, it's just a matter of time before we find the right place for them." I personally believe the Housing First Model that Maui is adopting can be the solution.
With that being said, if we ever want to see the eradication of homelessness become a reality, the community needs to continue working toward creating affordable housing, including affordable rentals.
* Joyce Kawakami is a full-time volunteer, founder and CEO of Feed My Sheep Inc. As an active member of The Maui Homeless Alliance, she chairs the Awareness Committee.