Vandals Wreck Wahiawa Rehab Van, Forcing Setback In Lanakila Services
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Del.icio.usThe Lanakila Rehabilitation Center in Wahiawa is appealing for help from the public, following a setback from vandals.
When the center’s staff arrived for work May 15, they discovered their handi-van had sustained damage estimated at $4,800 - a daunting figure in light of an ever tightening budget. Every window was smashed, and orders of replacements will take months to arrive.
The vans are used to transport their adults clients, who have cognitive, physical, social or age-related challenges. For now they are borrowing a van from their Honolulu facility.
“This has really been a hardship on the whole agency,“said program coordinator Wendy Gorka. “How could someone be so cruel to do this to our program participants?
“We have so many participants in the Honolulu program that we could really use three or four vans there. But now we are down to only one van at each site.”
A tight budget has gotten even tighter with the need to implement security measures. The entire Wahiawa facility,located at the freshwater park, needs to be remodeled, Gorka said, and money that was to be used for a computer lab and for other renovations and upgrades will now have to pay for installing a security system.
Donations have come in, but nowhere near what is needed.
To offer help, call 531-0555. To report information about the vandalism, call Officer Chi at 621-8442.
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