On Thursday, October 12, 2017, Palama Settlement started to demolish its Tenant Building. One of the original nine buildings constructed in 1925 that formed the new eight-acre campus on Vineyard Street, the Tenant Building was a two story wooden structure on the corner of Palama Street and Vineyard Boulevard. For 90 years the building enabled Palama Settlement to serve the Kalihi-Palama community with services such as the Strong-Carter Dental Clinic and Palama Settlement Community Services program, which assisted individuals and families with an emergency food pantry and referral services for housing, medical, clothes, household items, school supplies, and financial assistance.
Due to building foundation-structural issues, the building was shored a number of times to ensure the structure remained sound. Over recent years, foundation issues continued and after the building was shored recently, a structural engineer could no longer guarantee how long the building would remain safe. Palama Settlement addressed the safety issue by vacating the Tenant Building three years ago. While Palama Settlement preferred to keep the building, it was decided that costs to rehab the aging building would far exceed the cost to rebuild.
Over the years as Palama has evolved, its facility needs also changed. The original gymnasium was replaced by The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Gymnasium due to the widening of Vineyard Street in 1960. The iconic Rath Building on Vineyard Boulevard was also relocated on campus in 1983 to its current location in order to build the Higashino dining/meeting/administration complex. Today, the Rath Building and the Corbett House are two remaining buildings from the original campus complex. Moving forward, Palama Settlement will continually adjust to the ever-changing community and its needs. We look forward to redeveloping our campus to be relevant and purposeful to our mission as we prepare for the next hundred years. Mahalo.
Click on the image above to see a larger version of this flyer.
The Ready2Learn program was established by the late U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye and his wife to help supply low-income families with basic school supplies for their children.
This year’s Ready2Learn pre-registration is now open, through May 26, 2017. You MUST be pre-registered before the end of this school year to participate.
Please bring your valid driver’s license or state ID to the Palama Settlement Community Services Office Monday through Thursday between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to register for Ready2Learn.
Supply pick-up will be held in the Palama Settlement Dining Hall Lanai area on July 21, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
This program is in collaboration with with Helping Hands Hawaii.
For more information, please contact Community Services at 808-848-2528.
Registration is now open!
For more information and to purchase your tickets, click here.
Special thanks to
Chief Investigator Sponsor
Deputy Investigator Sponsor
Linda Gee
Palama Settlement became one of the fortunate agencies to receive a generous donation from the Great Aloha Run, via Carole Kai Charities. A check in the amount of $1,500 was presented to Executive Director Wendy Abe, which was a portion of proceeds from the annual Great Aloha Run. Additionally, in collaboration with KHON 2 TV, Palama received 50 brand new Addidas athletic shoes.
(L-R) Jean Hagi (GAR Board Member), Wendy Abe (Palama Settlement Executive Director), and Carole Kai
The monetary donation will support the operations of Palama Settlement, which services nearly 4,000 youth through adults annually inthe greater Kalihi community with programs, services, and facilities. The shoes will be distributed to youth who are in need of appropriate footwear.
On behalf of the families Palama serves, we wish to thank Ms. Carole Kai and the Great Aloha Run, as well as Ms. Kristina Lockwood, President and General Manager for KHON 2 TV.
(L-R): Jean Higa, Dave Kawada (Palama Settlement Recreation Director), Kristina Lockwood (KHON 2 President/General Manager), Carole Kai
