holidays

Aloha and Mele Kalikimaka,

Wishing you a Merry Christmas from Hawaii. I won’t be able to spend the holidays with friends and family in PA this year. So, I’m writing to let you all know what I’ve been up to. And also to let you know that, though I miss home, I’ll survive this breezy 70 degree December.
In August I left Philadelphia on a plane bound for LA. With a plane ticket and the promise of an AmeriCorps VISTA position on Oahu I was ready for my week of training. VISTA is the leg of AmeriCorps devoted particularly to work in areas of poverty. Think of this as something like the domestic PeaceCorps. Through a year of service, my official goal here is to build sustainable relationships, resources and programs designed to battle the root causes of poverty. Under the Corporation for National and Community Service, I was challenged with the task of creating a literacy tutoring program for K-3 students at Nanakuli Elementary School on the Leeward coast of Oahu. The program relies on volunteer involvement which means one of my main goals is volunteer recruitment, management and retention. So far so good. Teaching kids to read proficiently at a young age significantly improves their chances of successfully continuing their education. Ultimately, putting up a significant roadblock for a poverty which is passed from one generation to the next.
In my short time here I’m afraid I have learned more than anyone I’ve helped. Through some inspiring mentors I’ve learned there are no problems only challenges. Every day is both a challenge and a chance to learn something new. I’ve learned that a community is a very intricate web of personal relationships. In Nanakuli a majority of these are family ties. Everyone I meet is somehow related to someone I already know. I’ve learned that snorkeling is much more difficult than it looks, but still a great time. I’ve learned where the honu (sea turtles) come up to rest on a hidden beach. Surf season and whale watching in Hawaii is during the winter months. Volunteers can be difficult to come by, but can also be a fantastic resource. Food stamps are great if you live alone, hold a steady job, and ride the bus. Watching movies about Hawaii in Hawaii makes me laugh. Even if you’re in the middle of the Pacific Ocean far from home, sometimes a family is wonderful enough to invite you to Thanksgiving dinner. Plate lunch in Hawaii is rice, macaroni salad, and meat. Guide books suggesting not traveling up the leeward coast cause visitors to miss some of the best beaches on the island. The aloha spirit is more reality than myth. The kids make it all worth it.
So while I work through the challenges of an outsider in a very localized community, I have been fortunate to be accepted into that community in many ways. This of course makes my job a little easier. A smile and a ‘howzit bruddah?’ goes a long way. I’ll be happy to move on in eight months if I know I’ve made some kind of difference, if only a few new friends.


Happy Holidays,


Ryan