Some 70 volunteers who very well could have been spending their time elsewhere took Saturday morning to help spruce up the Hawaii Island Humane Society’s Keauhou shelter.
Shantel Obadencio of Kealakekua and her two-year-old son Jonah tackled a pile of leaves and brush, the youngster wielding a rake with singular focus at the society’s developing Animal Community Center.
“There are so many people that give,” the mother said. “We just want to help out.”
As the Lions Club of Kona and other helpers cut back the brush, cleaned up and painted, the society wasn’t the only winner. The work is the final leg in 100 hours of labor that qualifies the Lions for a $10,000 grant from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, which the club is passing on to the West Hawaii Community Health Center.
There, the money will be used to increase outreach to the island’s Marshallese population, said Jasmin Kiernan, director of innovation and transformation for WHCHC, which operates in five locations.
“We’re trying to encourage the Marshallese to promote their culture and strengthen their relationships within their community,” Kiernan said.
Time was, Lions did a substantial number of projects on their own. The push lately has been to involve other groups and volunteers, said Jack Vore, a Lions board member. Saturday’s lineup included Konawaena High and elementary school students and members of 4-H — all busy cutting, racking bagging and carrying brush and debris.
The cohesion is a good thing to see, Vore said.
“There are people working everywhere,” said Humane Society director Donna Whitaker. “It’s amazing what you can do when you get 60 or more people together.”
Besides the Lions spruce-up day, the Rotary Club of Kona Sunrise was busy remodeling the lower level of the society’s administration building on a comprehensive makeover of drywall, paint, cabinets, restrooms and more. Upstairs, Janet Schwartz, co-owner of Avatar Marketing was undertaking similar work to transform a shabby interior.
“We believe in helping the animals,” Schwartz said. “My partner Kim comes and walks the dogs and sings to them. This is our prime project getting this done so this is a community center, not just for the animals, but everybody.”
