More Tales From Sand Island

Sand Island Homeless Shelter

A scheduled appointment at 10am on Friday July 21st with the new case manager, Sara, was attended. A two-hour wait for a three-minute meeting that was simply an introduction. The gesture was appreciated nonetheless.

An anonymous haole "guest" had initiated a conversation about a week or so ago. He came to Hawai'i many moons ago to work in the construction industry. A horrific vehicle accident left him with serious permanent injuries which were confirmed by direct observation. Subsequent chats centered on the changes adversely affecting the islands. Then, he disclosed that he was returning home to Georgia on Friday. He will be reunited with friends and family.

Dinner at the Sand Island homeless shelter falls between 5:30pm and 6pm which leaves only a small window of opportunity for participation. Weekends are usually the only time that attendance was feasible due to traffic and time constraints. The need to attend dinners was primarily for minimal exposure to the "guest" population. However, the nutritional value of the meals is questionable, more so given the pre-diabetes problem. At this point in time, attendance at dinner is a low priority.

An anonymous female "guest" mentioned that there are 78 "guests" staying at the Sand Island homeless shelter. Oddly, only the same 15 or so "guests" are seen daily during the time of presence at the facility. Where are the others?

Smoking cigarettes is a major activity at the facility. "Guests" are observed in the designated smoking area all day and night. The cost of a pack of cigarettes is over $10 per pack. Yet, the "guests" seem to have adequate funds to sustain the habit.

There was an initial fear that the housing specialist would expedite housing placement, but that no longer seems to be the case. The anonymous female "guest" was matriculated into the program over a month ago. And, as stated in the previous footnote, many "guest" have been staying at the facility for several months. The anonymous haole "guest" was matriculated in January.

There is actually some kind of governing council comprised of "guests" who collectively make decisions about benign issues. The current president is moving into allegedly permanent housing, so the vice president is replacing her.

The new annex to the facility is slated to open on August 12th. There are six new converted shipping containers for a possible increase of up to 18 "guests." There has been some concern within the ranks of the current "guests" because their needs are apparently not being met right now. What will happen when there are more "guests"?