KAILUA-KONA — The inaugural Homeless Outreach Nurturing Our Community cleanup will take place Thursday morning.
Volunteers who would like to take part in the effort should meet at 7:45 a.m. at the north end of the runway at Old Kona Airport Park, according to Hawaii Police Department Community Policing Officer Wyatt Nahale.
The meet-up site was changed due to unprecedented interest from people wanting to volunteer alongside the homeless to give back to the community.
The cleanup will take place along the beach park’s shoreline. It’s the first of what Nahale and fellow Community Policing Officer Reuben Pukahi hope will become twice-a-month events.
Nahale and Pukahi created the Homeless Outreach Nurturing Our Community (HONOUR) program as a way to address the homeless population in Kailua Village. Read the original story here.
Along with partner Hope Services, the program is geared at integrating the homeless back into the community by having them work on projects under positive guidance. The officers said members of the homeless community are tired of being labeled because of the troublemakers and want to do something good for the community.
For more information, contact Nahale or Pukahi at 326-4646 ext. 257 or Hoopii at 217-6183.