WAI'ANAE — Help was at hand at Ma'ili Beach Park at Ma'ili Point yesterday for the 100 families who will be displaced in two weeks when the city closes the park that they call home.

Among those talking to a group of caseworkers reaching out to the residents was Glenda Afoa. Yesterday she told them she is considering a move to a shelter for the first time in the two years she's lived at the beach with her two teenagers.

At first, she lived in another section of Ma'ili Beach Park, but moved farther down last March after the city cleared out the first section of the park. So she went down the road to Ma'ili Point, where she's lived for a year.

"I just need someone to give me a chance," Afoa said. "I can do it. After awhile, you give up."

If everything pans out, Afoa and her son and daughter will move from the shelter and maybe into a home of their own.

Meeting with the beach residents yesterday were representatives from Honolulu Community Action Program, the Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, Wai'anae Community Outreach Center, the Hale Naupono center, the Pacific Health Ministries and O'ahu Worklinks.

Tulutulu "Tulu" Toa, homeless specialist for the Wai'anae Community Outreach, said the group will be back at the beach park on Feb. 8.

Each of the 100 residents at the beach park has different needs in addition to finding affordable housing, said Cathie Alana, Wai'anae Civic Center program director.

That's why it was important to bring the services to those who will be affected by the announcement that the two coastal areas — Nanikai area of Ulehawa Beach Park near Surfers Beach — would be shut down for a week beginning Feb. 10 and all the tent dwellers would be permanently moved. When the beach reopens at 3 p.m. Feb. 15, it will be closed to the public from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily.

"The object of this is to get the people off the beach safely," Alana said. "It may mean that some will move down to the next beach. We don't advocate that, but we want them to be hooked up with services."

At Ma'ili, no one has moved back yet, Toa said. She wants to make sure that the tent dwellers have enough time to move their belongings.

Kia'i Lee is an outreach coordinator for Partners in Development Foundation, a free mobile preschool helping homeless people on the Wai'anae Coast.

He said bringing social services to the people was key to preserving families and those who live in tents through the trauma of moving.

"We try to help the entire family," Lee said. "The success of a child depends on the success of the family as a whole. Our goal today is to provide people with an opportunity to limit the trauma of the transition.

"We hope people take heart and take advantage of the help offered to get them off the beach so they can move before the deadline."

The hope is that the beach residents will move in with relatives or friends, at least temporarily, because there is not enough room in emergency shelters until two state-funded shelters become operational in June.

Alana said that she's finding more and more people are willing to accept help and take steps to help themselves.

Nathan Maranan said he doesn't want to move. He likes living on the beach, where he fishes for food and dives and swims in the ocean. A Wai'anae resident his entire life, Maranan said he remembered when the area was just a beach, not a city park.

"We don't make a mess," Maranan said. "We take care of the beach. We clean the bathroom twice a day, once in the morning, once at night. Most of us here are all peaceful and quiet."

Afoa, who lives next to Maranan, said that having the services at the beach made the decision to move much easier. While a shelter is only temporary, she's hoping that some of the service agencies can advocate for her and help her find a place to rent.

"I'm trying to build solid ground for my children," said the 43-year-old Afoa. "I'm going to try to go to the shelter. This is the first time for me."

Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com.