I would like to share with you the letter and photos below from Kekoa Manner and his wonderful ohana led by his mother Makua Leilani who continues to serve our community so that those in need do not go without throughout the year and especially this Holiday season..
They give from their hearts and ask for nothing in return. Their rewards come from the smiles and happiness that flows from the souls they have helped and touched, and have become friends with for life.
My prayers are sent to Makua Leilani who struggles daily with serious health issues, but is always there to take on the next challenge in her ohana’s efforts to better by touching someone's life in the community.
Aloha Barry,
The past few months have been hard on our family watching our mom go in and out of the er. .taking new meds that don't work and finding new doctor's to help her figure out why she feels sick. . The amazing thing is that she managed to make sure we follow through with our community service Christmas project for the homeless on the west side. . .My mom likes to multi-task even when she is not feeling well. . so between jobs she's been getting the food we needed for 35 families and gifts for 33 children. Today, I know my mom was sad because she had a hard time choosing where she wanted to be because her Aloha Hula group was scheduled for a performance at the Mele Kalikimaka Marketplace at Neal Blaisdell at the same time our Christmas project was set for. . .
At this time I would like to thank the following people who made our Christmas Project a success: Our grandmother, Juanita and Uncle Tommy for their recycles and Maika'i Certificates so we could purchase the food. We would like to thank Cyndy from PER Inc and Lyz. Inc for their recycles that we used to buy gifts for the children. We would like to thank Marybeth Jenkins for her beautiful Mele Kalikimaka Marketplace advertisement for Aloha Hula, hula mom, Erika Rodgers for taking my mom's place as well as the other hula mother's for allowing their daughter's to perform and represent Aloha Hula. I would like to thank my brother, Kawika for taking pictures of our project. I would like to thank my sister Kamalani for wrapping presents, and my sister, Christina and niece, Chrysta-Lynn for getting the rest of the Christmas gifts we needed. I would like to thank my mother, Makua Leilani for doing most of the leg work. And last but not least, I would like to thank a man who gave me some money to use for my future projects.
Homeless project picture photos by Kawika Rasa
Advertisement photo by Marybeth Jenkins
Aloha Hula photo by Erika Rodgers
Mahalo,
Kekoa
Photo by Kawika Rasa
Photo by Kawika Rasa
Photo by Kawika Rasa
Photo by Kawika Rasa
Pictured: Kekoa Manner and mom, Makua Leilani.
Photo by Marybeth Jenkins
Photo by Erika Rodgers
