Grants, awards

Advertiser Staff

River of Life Mission annually recognizes outstanding contributions by the volunteers who support its rescue mission work. This year's honorees are:

• Bergie Clay, Rescuer of the Year, staffs the night contact desk and supervises service of the evening meal. Born and raised in Hawai'i, she is a Roosevelt High School graduate who works as a dental assistant. Her husband, Tracy, serves as mission night operations manager.

• Wallace Young-Kawada, food inventory control manager and associate music director, also assists with food and clothes distribution. Born in Hawai'i, he holds a master's degree in organic chemistry and worked with various pharmaceutical companies. He also has been a professional musician and plays base for mission services.

• Jeannette Reiner, Female Rookie of the Year, serves the mission as a housekeeper 12 hours weekly. After retiring from the Merchant Marine and the U.S. Coast Guard, she began dedicating her time to community service. She has also volunteered with the Aquarium, 'Iolani Palace, Waimea Falls Park and International Baptist Church.

• Joe and Penny Kekahuna have been serving the mission in various capacities for six years. As members of the group, "Faith, Hope and Charity," they play music for mission ministries and special occasions. Joe is a retired police officer working as a security guard at the federal building, and Penny is a retired special education aide. They live in Papakolea.

River of Life serves more than 8,000 hot meals monthly to Hawai'i's poor at its downtown Honolulu facility at the corner of Maunakea and Pauahi Streets. In addition, it provides clothing, showers, family food boxes, health care through Kalihi Pilama Health Care for the Homeless Project, legal aid, 12-step recovery and other rehabilitation programs.

• Fresh Start, a structured, supportive living skills program in Waipahu, received a $10,000 grant from the Cooke Foundation, Ltd. Ron Barker, executive director of Fresh Start, said the money will be used for a four-door used van.

Also received was a $10,000 grant from the Jessie Ann Chalmers Charitable Trust. The money will be used for the agency's recently created Gender Specific Women's Program-A Therapeutic Community.

Barker founded the organization in 1997 with the intent to help recovering alcoholic, drug addict, ex-offender and homeless men and women achieve permanent sobriety by providing long-term, affordable housing, while teaching life and educational skills within a safe and supportive environment.

• Helping Hands Hawaii has received the following grants for its human services programs: Atherton Family Foundation, $3,000, to the Voluntary Action Center for its new VAC Online Program; Hawaii Community Foundation, $20,000 to the Progressive Community Treatment Services for its recent accreditation process; and G.N. Wilcox Foundation, $10,000 to the Community Clearinghouse for the development of a volunteer manager position.