Did you know that nestled in the back of the Valley of Opportunity lies a very treasured home? We sat down with State Representative Calvin Say last week who coined Pālolo Valley so fruitfully! Why is Pālolo the Valley of Opportunity? Since the days of ahupuaʻas (a sustainable form of land management for early Hawaiians designed to provide within it's borders the natural resources a community required to meet it's own needs) Pālolo has carried rich and diverse soil, sustaining life here on our islands. The land has come a long way since then but the development of Pālolo Valley Homes and Public Housing has become a funnel for many families working for the opportunity to thrive. Through the advancement of homes and families over the years, one thing has remained the same, Pālolo Chinese Home has worked hard for the past 120 years providing a safe place to care for our bustling community's elders. Today, they bring us full circle not only directly in the care of our elders, but indirectly in care of our keiki. Pālolo Chinese Home provides the perfect setting for our Common Grace office.
At the beginning of this month we celebrated the Pālolo Chinese Home and their new dimensions through an Open House! Some of Honolulu’s social and political leaders traversed just upstairs of our office suite through a newly renovated 2nd story. Here they created a human resources and training center, a great addition to their mission for long-term care! They invited their guests to stroll through our office to get to know us, too! And in Common Grace fashion, you know we sent them home with CAKE (real cake symbolic of Compassion, Attention, Kindness, Encouragement)!
The excitement does not end here! In preparation for the event, Pālolo Chinese Home put together this beautiful board revealing our Intergenerational Teaching here at Common Grace. We service our public elementary, middle, and high school students as well as develop relationships with the kupuna at Pālolo Chinese Home. We have established so much value in our union! What a huge honor to be in a relationship with one of the most socially redemptive institutions that Hawaii has ever seen! Pālolo Chinese Home, we are so grateful to share our cottage and these grounds with you! Let us continue to breathe life into our community as we continue to call the Valley of Opportunity our home.
A thriving community is all about continued connection and care. In relationship with people, we know how transcending it is to have a feast! This Thanksgiving season we gathered at Princess Ruth Ke'elikolani Middle School, thanked our teenage mentors and sent them home with feasts! More details in the next blog post! Thank you for taking part in our community and helping us serve our ohana!
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