Page 5 - MidWeek Kauai - Nov 3, 2021

NOVEMBER 3, 2021
KAUA‘I MIDWEEK 5
Kāpili Like Works With ‘At-promise’ People
FROM PAGE 4
in cohorts, Fonoti stresses that everyone’s path is individual- ized. There is no set deadline and help is always there to support participants, she notes.
community organizations or the court system. Still others apply to the program on their own. All are welcome and she points out that while others may consider them at-risk, the Kāpili Like team believes everyone deserves a second chance.
ployment and more than 80% have continued their education while being employed. The programs have contributed more than 100,000 communi- ty service hours for the partic- ipants.
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.
“We say at-promise, instead of at-risk,” she asserts.
It’s those service hours that help with the hands-on training the academy provides.
“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. “Kūpono is to do things in a righteous way, and Mālama is the act of taking care or protecting.
Kāpili Like’s programs are open to youth and adult par- ticipants.
“For us, (the four pillars are) a daily implementation. So for instance, everything that we do for our trades academy is related to community. So, for our carpentry for example, we build homes to gain appren- ticeship hours,” she says.
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. PHOTO COURTESY KĀPILI LIKE
Fonoti says that everyone who comes to the program is part of that underserved popu- lation she noted when she first founded Kāpili Like. People are referred through schools,
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-
The mom of four was placed in a job at Home Depot after completing her forklift cer- tification. Her daughter did the same and was placed at Costco. Both have since been promoted and Mom is looking
The 16-year-old who came to Kāpili Like through the drug courts was able to ob- tain his GED and is now in the military and living in Ne- vada. He’s married and has a baby on the way.
“We’re thankful to be supported through com- munity partnerships
and various grants.
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 in- strumental in keeping Kāpili Like going.
People may apply for a proj- ect by visiting kapililike.org.
to get her CDL certification through Kāpili Like.
that we can talk story about,” Fonoti says, her voice beam- ing with pride in the individ- uals’ accomplishments.
The fruit of all that work continues to go out into the community and lead fulfilling lives.
The man who was laid off from his job after 21 years completed his CDL certi- fication and now has a new career.
Despite those successes, Fonoti says that there’s al- ways more that they can do to help.
“These are the outcomes
We hope that we’re around for a while.”
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