Putting the Home in Homestead

Habitat for Humanity helps Molokai couple.

By Brandon Roberts

Shelter is considered one of life’s basic necessities, yet many people struggle to fulfill this need. With humble acceptance, Halona and Gay Kaopuiki blessed their future home site with the help of Habitat for Humanity (HFH) and many Molokai residents.

The Kaopuiki family had the land since 1989, yet it has been without a real home. Upon the land sits a small, rundown storage building, and off in the field sits an old yellow school bus that served for a time as the Kaopuiki dwelling.

“We lived like pioneers for a long while,” Mrs. Kaopuiki said with a sense of appreciation and pride.

“It (HFH) could not have happened to a better family,” said Bill Bohnacker, first time HFH project supervisor. He plans to start construction within the week, and soon will be looking for volunteer carpenters.

HFH is a non-profit organization that provides a means for people to have a place to call home through individual and corporate donations as well as sweat-equity. According to the Molokai HFH Web site, a Partner family will invest labor, sweat equity, into building their homes and the homes of others. HFH participants’ mortgage payments go into a revolving Fund for Humanity used to build homes for other deserving families.

Volunteers or interested parties can get involved by contacting Jean Han at the Molokai HFH office at 808-560-5444 or via email at ohana@pixi.com.