Page 4 - MidWeek Kauai - Feb 1, 2023

4 KAUA‘I MIDWEEK FEBRUARY 1, 2023
STORY BY
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PHOTO BY
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The Institute for Human Services and its executive director TConnie Mitchell have been a source of strength for the homeless in helping them find a fresh path forward.
need for more integrated clin- ical intervention. Between him and his wife, Roberta, their compassion for others sparked a change within the community, and is the reason IHS has grown into what it is today.
he unfortunate truth vices to help individuals heal vices provider community is that homelessness and succeed. — can focus on one sub-pop- can happen to any- Over the past 10 years, ulation, we’ re really able to
one. Whether it be due in IHS has assisted nearly help decrease the homeless
part to high housing costs, substance abuse, job loss or medical debt, a person may be just one life-altering event away from being at risk.
20,000 homeless individuals obtain subsidized and un- subsidized housing. It’s also served more than 2 million meals in that period.
among them.”
The organization’s pos-
“They just really were a dynamic duo, from what I understand,” Mitchell says, adding that they would trans- port people to the hospital and even invite them into their own home. “It really was a lifestyle of caring for people that just went beyond a job. I think that we (at IHS) try to emulate that as much as possible.”
The Institute for Human Services, which officially be- came a nonprofit in 1982, un- derstands that each situation is unique and aims to create tailored solutions for those in need. In addition to providing food and shelter, the organi- zation offers supportive ser-
“The number of homeless families on Oʻahu has been going down,” shares IHS executive director Connie Mitchell, who has been with the agency for nearly 20 years. “I think that when we as a community — and par- ticularly our homeless ser-
itive impact actually dates back to the late ’ 70s with Father Claude DuTeil’s peanut butter ministry. The volunteer-driven movement aimed to help those living on Oʻahu’s streets by provid- ing them with peanut butter sandwiches and coffee.
IHS offers employment services such as its New Leaf program, which teaches landscaping skills. PHOTO COURTESY THE INSTITUTE FOR HUMAN SERVICES
the agency’s various perma- nent housing communities. Being that each situation is unique, the housing process is different for everyone, but IHS hopes that within a cou- ple months, it can move peo-
Being that DuTeil strug- gled with both alcoholism and depression, he saw the
Throughout Oʻahu, more than 500 individuals reside at
In addition to providing onsite medical services to shelter guests, IHS operates five medical respite homes
ple from its shelter and find them permanent housing.
SEE PAGE 5