(BIVN) – The community gathered Friday to celebrate the opening of The Salvation Army’s Hilo Overnight Safe Space and Malama ‘Ohana Kitchen Trailer in Hilo. 

The new shelter and sustenance are located at 219 Ponahawai Street in Downtown Hilo.

photo courtesy The Salvation Army

From a news release shared by event organizers:

County of Hawaiʻi Mayor Mitch Roth, together with state, county and other community partners, joined officers and representatives from The Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division to mark the occasion. The Hilo Overnight Safe Space opens adjacent to The Salvation Army Hilo Temple Corps Community Center, with the Malama ‘Ohana Kitchen Mobile Trailer positioned to regularly provide shelter guests with nutritious meals, as well as mobilize for emergencies and community events.

“We’ve been looking at ways that we can help get our homeless a place to have a roof over their heads in the evening,” said Mayor Mitch Roth. “The Salvation Army has been a great partner and we’ve worked with the Governor to make sure that we can get some funding to make this happen. People living on the streets…that’s not a way to live. Getting people a place to safely rest their heads is super important.”

Made possible with support from both state and county funding, The Hilo Overnight Safe Space offers care and secure respite on a first-come, first-served basis. Up to 25 beds will be available for overnight stays each evening, from 7 p.m. – 7 a.m. The safe space provides kennels for the pets of those facing homelessness to be able to shelter together. It will also serve as a hub for connecting the shelter’s overnight guests with additional resources and specific support services they may need to address mental health, substance abuse, food insecurity and more. An anonymous donor provided funds for the purchase of the Malama ‘Ohana Kitchen Trailer, which will further complement the safe space operations and more.

Among the event attendees were Governor’s Representative, East Hawaiʻi, Amy Miwa; Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness, John Mizuno; State Representative Jeanné Kapela; Council Member Jenn Kagiwada; Council Member Susan Lee Loy; Susan Kunz, Housing Administrator, Sharon Hirota, Division Manager, Community Engagement, for the Hawaiʻi County Office of Housing and Community Development, and Timothy Hansen and Barrett Otani, Hawaiʻi County Mayor’s Executive Assistants. Representatives from The Salvation Army included Officers Major Troy Trimmer and Major Anie Trimmer, Divisional Commander and Divisional Director of Women’s Ministries, respectively, Captains Sam and Felicia LeMar of the Hilo Temple Corps, and Roxanne Costa, Hawaiʻi County Social Services Director; Divisional Director of Development Charmaine K. Hauanio-Kuewa; board members George Applegate, Randy Kurohara, Michelle Leite, Grant Omura, Barrett Otani, Sharla Sares, Jase Takeya, Derek Taniguchi and Stacey Williams.

“A lot of the people we are expecting are those who are actually living on the doorsteps of our downtown businesses,” said Roxanne Costa, The Salvation Army-Hilo Temple Corps Hawaii County Social Services Director. “They’ve got a lot more mental health, substance issues, and past traumas, so they are not in any space at the moment to deal with their issues.”

The ceremony commenced with an ‘Oli from Kumu Chaslen Ahin-Ganir, Opening Prayer from Major Anie Trimmer, and closed with a Hawaiian Blessing from Kahu Smitty Kaleohano and maile untying with assistance from Mayor Roth, John Mizuno, Susan Kunz, Sharon Hirota, Captains Sam and Felicia LeMar, Roxanne Costa, Majors Troy and Anie Trimmer, and Charmaine Hauanio-Kuewa.