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On Dec. 14, I will have lived on Maui for 80 years. In thanksgiving for all those who made my life so worthwhile, I am eternally grateful for your presence in my life and out of gratitude feel obliged to pay those blessings forward.
Over the past 37 years, I have worked at Family Court with domestic violence and child custody cases, at Maui Memorial Medical Center as a hospital chaplain and in various social service agencies working with displaced veterans and welfare recipients.
Also, I have been in the forefront supporting and developing a sheltering program for houseless person (Ka Hale A Ke Ola), a feeding program at St. Theresa Catholic Church (Hale Kau Kau), and housing advocacy programs (FACE Maui and Stand Up Maui).
During this season of thanksgiving and gift-giving, I ask you to remember all those who are not as blessed as ourselves.
I have never lived without shelter or food, but many on Maui have not. So please be generous with your time and talent for those who do not have.
You can support our work with $5, $10, $25 or whatever you can donate to Stand Up Maui, a housing advocacy group that believes and acts on the principles of housing is a human right and must be prioritize for our residents.
Go to Stand Up Maui's website and under the tittle, Maui Wildfires, read our letter to the mayor about homes for all who lost them due to the wildfires or life circumstances.
Stan Franco
Haiku-Pauwela