Page 21 - MidWeek - Oct 27, 2021

OCTOBER 27, 2021 MIDWEEK 21
Kāpili Like Works With ‘At-promise’ People
FROM PAGE 16
munity to learn what skills and industries were in-demand. Then, Kāpili Like developed programs to provide training for those fields.
there to support participants, she notes.
who comes to the program is part of that underserved popu- lation she noted when she first founded Kāpili Like. Some are referred through schools or community organizations. Others are referred through the court system. Still others apply to the program on their own. All are welcome and she points out that while others may con- sider them at-risk, the Kāpili Like team believes everyone deserves a second chance.
“Our participants for the most part are the underserved, the at-promise population. They do include those that needed second chances from addiction or incarceration, those type of things. And now, with COVID, there’s ‘ohana that need a second chance,” she says. “They need job placement because they lost their jobs, etc. That’s even how CDL came in, too. We were
“We picked things that pro- vided a livable wage, things they can maintain their fami- lies on (and) build careers on,” explains Fonoti.
Kāpili Like’s entire program — whether it’s job training or obtaining a GED — is cultur- ally based and built upon four pillars: Pilina, Kuleana, Kūpo- no and Mālama.
She says the aim was to en- sure that those credentials were “‘stackable,’ so, even if they left Hawai‘i ... they could take their certifications, credentials and training with them so they can be employable anywhere.”
“Pilina is the relationship that you have with yourself and others and community. Kuleana, which is the respon- sibility you have for yourself, your family and community, and thinking of all what all those three encompass ... and making decisions and doing everything with intention,” she explains. “Kupono is to do things in a righteous way, and Mālama is the act of taking care or protecting.
“We say at-promise, instead of at-risk,” she asserts.
like ʻOK,’ because people took the time now, to kind of reeval- uate themselves and their goals and so forth. I mean even us as an organization, (we thought) ʻwhat do we want to do and how do we service the com- munity more?’ So it wasn’t just those that had those issues. It’s now those that face COVID restrictions or COVID layoffs and terminations. Now, they’re stuck, too. So, we all needed to come together as community.”
“There are going to be is- sues, concerns and slip-ups. There’s always room for im- provement, growth and re- demption. And that’s what we teach them,” she says. “We want them to be sustainable. We want them to move for- ward.”
Kāpili Like’s academy provides training in construc- tion, sustainable agriculture, transportation (CDL, driver’s education and forklift certifi- cation) and auto repair.
Kāpili Like’s programs are open to youth and adult par- ticipants.
The organization sees every- one’s potential, and while they are admitted in cohorts, Fonoti stresses that everyone’s path is individualized. There is no set deadline and help is always
“So, how do you do all those things? You start within, which extends to your family, which extends to community and you’ re a member of all those three things.”
In addition to the training people may have signed up for, the organization provides life skills guidance, counseling, and sometimes even food.
“We take anybody from 14 to 24 for our youth academy. They can apply online or they can be referred through their schools, through court (or) community programs. Our adult program is for anyone 25 and above. They can be re- ferred or they can apply them- selves online.”
Fonoti says that everyone
“We make sure you have food ... we realize that suste- nance is a big thing and some of our participants weren’t eat- ing,” Fonoti explains.
(Top and above) Kāpili Like’s trade academy participants labor together at a worksite in Nānākuli. The organization takes requests for community projects and applies those service hours toward apprenticeships that help fulfill certification requirements. In addition to carpentry, there are ag, auto repair and transportation programs. TOP PHOTO COURTESY KĀPILI LIKE
ployment and more than
SEE PAGE 22
Once in the program, the team at Kāpili Like is there with its participants for the long-haul. This includes any setbacks they may have.
When she looks back on what her initial vision has grown into, she says she is overwhelmed, but she’s quick to credit her team and commu- nity partners (Hawaiian Elec- tric, Kamehameha Schools, A‘ali‘i, Goodwill Hawai‘i and the Castle Foundation) that were and continue to be instrumental in keeping Kāpili Like going.
“We ask that our participants be 100% honest with us, and transparent. Even if it’s neg- ative. Say, they used over the weekend or they’re involved in something that they shouldn’t have been, we ask them to be completely honest so we can support them to a resolution so we can move on and help remedy the situation and help them keep moving forward,” Fonoti stresses.
And it’s been very success- ful. Since the nonprofit’s in- ception, 600 participants have gone through the programs. All have retained their em-