MOKU O KEAWE MALAMA NA KUPUNA

FREE LUNCHEON FOR SENIORS

Story  and Photos: Raydiance Joy Grace

Additional Photos: Brooklyn

Everyone at Puna Rising Ohana celebrates and gives appreciation for the ahead-of-her-time, visionary work that Petronila, her co-leaders, and volunteers have been doing to demonstrate the power of sharing food, especially for the Kapuna, the elders.

From the moment I arrived, I felt welcomed and honored for being an elder by the smiling, friendly women who greeted me at the registration table. They signed me up for a raffle to receive a gift from one of the different table displays after lunch was served. The dining room tables were also resplendent with Hawaiian Fruits, Flowers, and Potted Plants, creating a festive environment.

Many volunteers served various functions, including filling each guest’s plate with their individual selection of foods based on their dietary needs, as written in personal orders given to servers.

Kupuna sitting at the festively decorated tables introduced themselves to one another, smiling and happy to be with their contemporaries as they ate a feast.

A delightful soundscape was provided by the “Puna Dirt Road Band,” a variety of musicians from Puna serenading the luncheon, guests, and staff. Known for playing a mix of music from Hawaiian to Rock and Roll classics, the Puna Dirt Road Band always brings great energy!

After the luncheon, the raffle started with many prizes given away, including potted plants, Hawaiian fruits, and handpicked flowers.

The following is an interview with Petronila about her passionate project, Moku o Keawe Malama Na Kupuna

Raydiance: What was the original inspiration for you to start Moku O Keawe Malama Na Kupuna, and what does it mean?

Petronila: “Actually, it started about 30 years ago when I wanted to start a non-profit organization to take care of the Kapunas. I wanted to get some land donated to build little villages where the Kapunas could live. An opportunity came up to do the luncheon. I jumped on it and I’ve been doing it ever since. The translation of Moku O Keawe Malama Na Kupuna means, Island of Hawaii caring for the elders. What we do is select Kapunas who live alone, who don’t get out a lot, and are approximately the same age, 65 and up. We encourage them to get to know their neighbours while enjoying the fresh air, and they are fed farm-to-table meals. “

RJG: WHEN AND WHERE WAS YOUR FIRST PROGRAM PRESENTED?

Petronila: “2 1/2 years ago, we did the first luncheon in a Puna Community Center, doing 4 luncheons that year, including Sacred Heart Church in Pahoa. The second year, we did six, and this year, we did 8. We first started learning the ropes of how to put this program together in the Keaau Community Center. We have expanded to Leilani, Hawaiian Beaches, Hawaiian Shores, Hawaii Paradise Park, plus Uncle Roberts last year.”

RJG: ARE THE  FLOWERS, POTTED PLANTS AND HAWAIIAN FRUIT GIVEN AWAY DURING THE RAFFLE DONATED?

Petronila: “We are a non-profit organisation; everything is donated by wonderful donors. What we want to do now is get donors and volunteers who are in each community, so they don’t have to go too far to set up then everybody gets to know who the Kupunas are and what their needs are. We opened up 2 new communities this year, the Community Center in Ainaloa and the VFW post in Nanavale, where the veterans congregate. The veterans have agreed to include all the of Nanawale community next year.”

RJG: HOW DO YOU ATTRACT VOLUNTEERS FOR THE EVENTS TO HELP YOU?

Petronila: “We find them by people coming in who have volunteered previously, and if they know someone in another community, to recommend.  The best way we’ve found is to reach out through social media and the volunteers who are motivated to become host and co-host, we train them to do what I do so that they can take care of their own community. My goal is to move forward and open up other communities so I can take this program throughout all of the islands of Hawaii and beyond.”

RJG: WHO PREPARES ALL THE DELICIOUS DISHES FOR THE LUNCHEON?

Petronila: “The food is prepared by the host, the co-host and myself and volunteers from each community.”

RJG: IF SOMEONE HAS FOOD OR PLANTS TO GIVE AWAY OR IF THEY WANTED TO VOLUNTEER OR HELP IN ANYWAY, WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO CONTACT YOU?

PETRONILA 808 895-5709, WE ALSO APPRECIATE FINANCIAL DONATIONS!

Mahalo, Petronila, for being a visionary in feeding the Kapuna (elders) and providing a wholesome, healthy community meal for them to gather and get to know one another. Your generous public service is needed now that we have recently and temporarily experienced a loss of SNAP (the food stamps program). You have led a trail-blazing path in showing others how to step-up-to-plate in sharing our resources to help our community members who need food security and support.