By Staff Reports
(LĪHU‘E) – Project Vision Hawai‘i, in partnership with the County of Kaua‘i Housing Agency, held a blessing ceremony Friday, for a mobile hygiene trailer that will offer free hot showers for individuals experiencing homelessness on Kaua‘i.
“Access to basic hygiene and healthcare should be available to everyone, and that’s now a wonderful and humbling reality here on Kaua‘i,” said Mayor Kawakami. “The power of a hot shower can renew your spirit, and I know many of us can relate to that. We are so grateful to the team at Project Vision Hawai‘i and our Housing Agency for providing this shower unit and for your efforts to serve and care for our houseless community.”
Project Vision Hawai‘i is a non-profit organization providing services to the houseless communities across the state. Project Vision Hawai‘i received $100,000 from the County of Kaua‘i through its CARES Act funding to purchase a mobile shower unit, HiEHiE. The unit includes proper wastewater management and sanitation between each use.
A special allocation of $541,000 of the county’s Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) funds was also awarded to Project Vision Hawai‘i to purchase a truck which will tow the trailer, and cover operating expenses that will provide vital health and social services in coordination with other community partners. These services for the houseless community include first-aid, wellness checks, document procurement assistance, Medicaid registration, and more.
Project Vision Hawai‘i’s HiEHiE Kaua‘i program also provides volunteer and job opportunities for qualified local houseless individuals with extensive drug testing. The mobile hygiene trailer is staffed by the Project Vision Hawai‘i’s Kaua‘i island outreach manager, data specialist, and outreach worker who also provides security for their team.
“Project Vision Hawai‘i is committed to increasing access to healthcare for the people of Hawai‘i, and our mobile hygiene service has been widely successful on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island,” said Darrah Kauhane, executive director of Project Vision Hawai‘i. “We are excited for the opportunity to provide these much needed services to Kaua‘i’s houseless community, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic where preventing the spread of the virus continues to be a high priority.”
To date, Project Vision Hawai‘i has provided over 3,500 hot showers to individuals experiencing homelessness on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island.
Project Vision Hawai‘i continues to conduct weekly outreach events in partnership with the county’s Housing Agency at various sites. The mobile hygiene trailer will be added to their services. This project is part of Kaua‘i’s COVID-19 relief efforts using mobile outreach to support people who cannot otherwise access essential care. Staff members are trained to follow CDC guidelines for operating programs.
For more information on Project Vision Hawai‘i, please visit www.projectvisionhawaii.org.
For more information about the Housing Agency’s homeless outreach program, please call 241-4427.