Posted on: Sunday, April 22, 2001

Navy gets a big mahalo for helping homeless

By Hugh Clark
Big Island Bureau

HILO, Hawai'i — Three groups that help the homeless have honored the U.S. Navy for its efforts in providing volunteer support in Hilo.

The presentations, including the Damien Award by the Office of Social Ministry of the Catholic Church, were presented to John "Buz" Sorce, the commander of the USS Hopper, following greeting ceremonies Friday at Hilo's Pier 1.

The destroyer is spending this weekend in Hilo as part of the 38th Merrie Monarch Festival. A Navy vessel has called here each year since the celebration was started.

The honors had been intended for the USS Reuben James, which visited Hilo in 2000 and was due to return this week. However, mechanical problems forced it to remain at Pearl Harbor.

The Reuben James crew did the good deeds that were recognized by the Hawaii Island Food Bank, Care-A-Van, which provides medical and dental services to the indigent, and the East Hawaii Coalition for the Homeless.

The crew performed thousands of hours of intensive labor, which allowed money to be shifted to further services for the poor.

Nathan Chang, Food Bank volunteer, said sailors worked at the warehouse, making several thousand dollars in electrical repairs, and then washed and polished a van used to provide rural dental services.

Two duplex units on Kapi'olani Street in Hilo, which can house up to 52 homeless people, were painted in two days. That saved the nonprofit group $15,000, said Steve Bader, manager of the shelters.

Hopper crew members are planning to provide a power wash to the roof of ARC of Hilo — a vocational center for people with developmental disabilities.

The salute to the Navy was coordinated by K.T. Cannon-Eger of the Hilo Council of the Navy League, which sponsored yesterday's welcome by the Merrie Monarch Royal Court and a Tahitian dance troupe.

"Community relations projects performed by the many sailors and Marines who visit Hilo have saved the county countless dollars," said Cannon-Eger, president of the Navy League Council here.

Cannon-Eger also cited six earlier projects by visiting military units. They included plantings and brush clearing at Pana'ewa Zoo, helping to repair and paint dugouts at Carvalho Park and erecting playground equipment at Keikiland, near St. Joseph School.