The Institute for Human Services marked 30 years of serving Hawai'i's homeless yesterday by serving peanut butter sandwiches for lunch.

IHS founder Claude Du Teil started the organization's signature "Peanut Butter Ministry" in Chinatown in 1978, handing out coffee, counseling and peanut butter sandwiches to the hungry and homeless.

"The most distinctive thing about Claude is that he accepted people like they were," said his wife, Roberta "Bert" Du Teil, during a ceremony at 1128 Smith St., the location of IHS' first walk-in counseling clinic. "He didn't look down on people, no matter what, and tried to help them. He even gave con artists a chance."

Bread for the sandwiches was donated by Love's Bakery, which has helped IHS with donations of food since the beginning. Love's employees prepared and distributed the sandwiches at the shelters.

Claude Du Teil, who died in 1997, opened the original Smith Street center three decades ago, offering substance abuse counseling and serving three meals a day. IHS has since grown into O'ahu's largest emergency homeless shelter, providing food, emergency housing, and basic amenities for men, women and families in two Iwilei shelters.

"The work IHS has been doing is just incredible," said homeless advocate Utu Langi, H-5 executive director. "It's pretty critical for the life of Honolulu as a city — the service they offer is needed. Without IHS, I don't know how the city would deal with the homeless issue."

One big step for IHS came in 1997, when a second shelter opened for women and families on Ka'aahi Street.

"(Claude's) dream was to have a second place for women and children," Du Teil said. "He would be so thrilled to know that it came true."

Extensive assistance programs providing health counseling and housing programs to shelter guests are also available at IHS through staff and community partnerships. In addition to basic emergency services, IHS offers long-term support programs for individuals with serious mental illness or disabilities. The shelter's Community Reentry Program also helps men on probation, parole, or recently released from prison to develop budgeting, employment, and community living skills.

"One of the biggest things is that now, they (the homeless) can get the help. Before, they would just live here for a long time — they just stayed. They didn't know how to go about getting housing, how to get an income," said Lali Lai Hipp, IHS' general case management program coordinator.

Kawika Seda, who has been in and out of the men's shelter since 2001, has noticed the increase in support programs.

"They help a lot," said Seda, 28. "You have to really take advantage of the programs, though. If you don't, you won't get by."

With the formation of numerous homeless support organizations in recent years, IHS has been able to partner with outside entities such has Hina Mauka and the Kalihi-Palama Health Center to provide additional support for homeless at the shelter. Lai Hipp says that those partnerships, along with an increase in IHS staff and case managers at the shelter, are key in moving more individuals and families into permanent housing.

"The vision of IHS has gotten so huge," Lai Hipp said. "Before, to tell you the truth, it was just food, shelter and clothing. That's it, just trying to keep them stabilized. Now, we're getting them back into society, and back on their feet — and that's what we're trying to do, instead of just having them sit here."

"They are getting more help for us," Seda said, "and it's definitely better than sleeping outside."