Taking Steps To Help The Homeless
A former homeless single mom is proof of the good work done by IHS, which benefits from a walk organized by Bank of Hawaii employees
Del.icio.usheard her organization was to benefit from all those walking shoes, but she laughs that she was a little worried about the work that such a fundraiser would entail. When she found out that the bank was offering to do it all, she was able to relax and think about the best ways to spend the money.
While the non-profit does receive government funding, one-third of its $5.5 million budget is raised in the community. IHS will channel the money from the Bank of Hawaii Charity Walk into two areas: the family program and the temporary housing program.
The family program provides the support that can help people break down the barriers posed by homelessness. Whatever help their individual clients need, the organization works to deliver, be it with budget counseling, education needs, parenting classes, employment or healthcare services.
The temporary housing program aims to stem the rising tide of homelessness by helping those who are at risk of becoming homeless. It’s a common scenario for people to lose their home because their rent goes up or they are temporarily out of work. For some, moving into a new place is impossible because they cannot afford the double whammy of the first month’s rent and the security deposit, Yip says.
In Zamansani’s situation, the temporary housing program helped by finding her and her family the temporary home in Kailua for six months. During that time, the organization lent its support as she organized her finances and looked for an affordable rental.
In the end, Zamansani found an apartment in the newspaper. IHS then helped her get into the place by covering the first month’s rent and the security deposit.
The roomy one-bedroom apartment near Punahou has become a haven for Zamansani and her 17-year-old daughter, Zsaleh, and 13-year-old son, Bejan.
“I just love it,” says Zamansani, who enjoys the surrounding trees and the breezes, and the peace and quiet.
With a home to call their own again, Zamansani has watched her children rebound from the lows of the past year. With a home to call their own, she can concentrate on getting well. She just made it through chemotherapy and is starting radiation, and her doctor tells her things are looking good. She gets dialysis three times a week and is waiting until she’s cancer-free so she can get back on track for a kidney transplant.
She cries when she talks about the help and care she received from IHS.
“When we were in Waianae and I was driving back and forth, I just thought I was going to die,” she says, burying her head in her hands. “It was at that point, at the bleakest point that (IHS’s Wendy Yip) came through. When you’re at your lowest point and someone comes through, you just really appreciate it.”
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