Informational Briefing on QUEST Expanded Access Program

On the Agenda:

• Review of recent award of $1.5 billion contract covering 37,000 Aged, Blind, and Disabled population to two for-profit mainland health insurance companies
• FACE’s concern that these companies may not have significant cultural understanding and sufficient Hawaii physicians and hospitals
• Concerns raised by investigations about the corporate and financial integrity of these companies on the mainland  by federal authorities

DATE: Tuesday, December 9
TIME: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Prep meeting at 8:30 am in Room 225
PLACE:  Conference Room 229, State Capitol, 415 South Beretania Street
 
Parking is available at the Nuuanu end of the parking lot at Harris United Methodist Church, 415 South Beretania St.

Childcare will be provided upon request.
For more information contact FACE at face.office@facehawaii.org or 522-1304.

FACE Maui: ‘Yes, We Can!’

Trisha Smith

Interfaith organization and community leaders celebrate signing of an action covenant to help resolve major issues on Maui. “This is a new beginning for all of us.”

Faith Action for Community Equity (FACE) Maui held its founding covenant celebration on Saturday, Nov. 15, at the Christ the King Church in Kahului. The Maui sun glistened through the church’s stained-glass windows as nearly 300 enthusiastic attendees warmly welcomed each other.

The meeting was attended by numerous Maui congregations, FACE Hawai‘i and a familiar cast of political leaders, including Sen. Roz Baker and Rep. Joe Souki. Rev. Gary Colton of Maria Lanakila Church stressed the importance of public official involvement, and thanked Rep. Joe Bertram III for his help in orchestrating the event. Mayor Charmaine Tavares was unable to attend.

FACE Maui is an interfaith grassroots community organization formed for the purpose of working for justice and equity on Maui. Created in June 2007, FACE Maui is currently made up of 19 churches and temples, three social service agencies, two labor organizations and one environmental group. With many of Maui’s top political leaders supporting FACE Maui, the organization intends to resolve some of the island’s top issues.

The group organized with the support of FACE Hawai‘i of O‘ahu, which has been successful in influencing critical public policies—such as obtaining $25 million in federal money to support Hawai‘i’s public hospitals.

FACE is a Gamaliel Foundation affiliate, a Chicago-based community organization; the same organization that trained President-Elect Barack Obama.

Last September, FACE Maui identified issues and organized task force groups. On Saturday, final actions were formally discussed and members signed a covenant of support.

“His fingerprints are all over the goodness of Maui,” said moderator Joyce Afalla of Ala Lani Church, as she introduced keynote speaker Deacon Stan Franco of St. Theresa’s Church of Kihei.

“I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time,” said Deacon Franco. Also known as “Stan the Man,” a social worker, and a chaplain at Maui Memorial Medical Center, he stated that he believes FACE Maui is a “can” and not a “no can” organization. The audience replied with a resounding “can!”

“Many on this island have given up on finding justice on issues,” Deacon Franco continued. He said too often in our society we look to one leader—referring to Obama’s recent victory—and warned us to not make him our “superhero” and do nothing ourselves. Franco sees a “better life by us working together with a common vision and covenant.”

The entire room stood and joined together to recite the affirmation of the covenant, their written agreement to tackle three core issues on Maui in the next year: better and more diversified jobs, affordable housing-land use and immigration matters. FACE Maui plans to tackle three issues a year.

A long-time hotel worker told how she was laid off three times in three years. She is tired of big, Mainland corporations trying to run it “their way,” she said. “Yes, we can fight for our rights, jobs,” she said, as signatures accumulated on the poster-sized letter headed to the president of Diamond Resorts stating grievances about layoffs.

Addressing the housing, a single mother of two said, “If I can’t afford to pay rent, where do I go? I know I’m not the only one, but it was a problem when I was young and still is. What needs to be done?”

When Lori Tsuhako of the Maui County Department of Housing and Human Services, a representative from the Mayor’s Office, was asked if she will work with FACE on developing solutions for housing, she replied with an enthusiastic, “Can!”

“It’s obvious that as a community you have the wisdom and voice to make change,” said Dwayne Marsh, director of policy engagement for PolicyLink, a Mainland community policy company. He spoke of people, partnerships and power to integrate policies that “can.” “I’m here to say PolicyLink is a partner to go forward with FACE Maui,” said Marsh.

Maui resident Roberto Sanchez spoke of a Tongan man who lost his birth certificate, had no identification and was unable to leave due to strict immigration rules. [Note from FACE: The Maui resident's name is Gilberto Sanchez.]

“He can’t go home and can’t leave Hawai‘i,” said Sanchez. “That’s a problem.”

“The current system [immigration] is interfering with our way of life,” said Rev. Tasha Kama of Christian Ministry Church. “We need to reduce wait-time for potential citizens and help those trying to correct system problems.”

Kama asked U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie if he would help, and he firmly responded, “Yes. I can! Yes, we can!”

The most exuberant oration of the morning came from Congressman Abercrombie, bringing people to their feet with heartfelt applause. He spoke powerfully about the importance of faith, action, community and “the courage to be.”

 “Courage to not be skeptical or cynical,” he said. “Promises are easy to make, hard to keep. Our hopes and dreams are alive in FACE Maui, and I have a feeling there’ll be change in progress next time we meet.”

Rev. Ed Gazmen of New Life Community Church applauded Abercrombie for his fervent “sermon.” “Perhaps you have missed your calling in the church,” he said.

The diversity and camaraderie within the church was underscored as neighbors joined hands for a prayer at the end of the celebration.

“We are eager to take our faith into action,” he said. Rev. Gazmen revealed plans for an upcoming spring housing summit and Rev. Colton spoke of immigration classes.

Rev. Gazmen described the celebration as “a message of the hope and enthusiasm that FACE needs to succeed. If what we saw today is a symbol of future effectiveness, I’m very excited,” he said. “There are organizations that attempt to penetrate the political world and don’t. We have.”

“This is just one of many steps to bring the community together,” said County Councilman Michael Victorino. “I’m very happy to see the various faiths getting back in the forefront of resolving issues and fully support them.”

“Yes, we can build an organization of people caring about each other and working together for the common good of all Maui’s people,” said Franco.

“This is a new beginning for us all,” said Rev. Efren Tomas of Christ the King Church.

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FACE mixes church, politics to help community

Project linked to organization involving Obama

By CHRIS HAMILTON, Staff Writer

KAHULUI - Back in Maui’s plantation days, even as recently as 50 years ago, the church was the center of every community, said Maui County Council Member Michael Victorino.

There were few, if any, government social programs or nonprofit agencies providing social services. If the workers had trouble with the employers or needed food or medical assistance, they went to the churches, many of which had alliances, Victorino said.

Once again, Maui churches are banding together, this time with labor and other community groups as well, to form an interdenominational organization to carry the banner for social issues – such as affordable housing, a diversified local economy and immigration rights.

About 300 people on Saturday morning filled Christ the King Church for the founding assembly of “Faith Action for Community Equity Maui,” or FACE Maui. Victorino was among a phalanx of local politicians, including U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, seated in front of the altar to show support for the nascent faith-based advocacy group.

FACE Maui has 27 churches, nonprofits, unions and foundations listed as charter members. The organization was initiated by the FACE Oahu chapter and been in the planning stages for 15 months, said Deacon Stan Franco of Housing for the Local Persons.

“The churches used to be at the forefront of dealing with social injustice,” Victorino said. “I think what we’re seeing is a return to that kind of resolve.”

FACE Maui is also affiliated with Chicago-based Gamaliel Foundation. President-elect Obama was an organizer for the national foundation; and Saturday was part of its campaign to fulfill a request from the new administration in Washington to help shape Obama’s agenda by gathering community input from grass-roots meetings, like Saturday’s, according to the Gamaliel Foundation.

Many of those in attendance said they were curious coming in about what the focus and organization would look like.

“This is just step one, our introduction to the community,” said Franco, who added that they still need to elect officers.

Franco and other speakers made the purpose clear, though. They have three main priorities:

= Better and more diversified jobs and holding employers accountable.

= Affordable housing and appropriate land use.

= Immigration sensitivity and outreach.

“I believe Maui FACE is a ‘can’ and not a ‘no can’ organization,” Franco said to applause.

He said it seems as though only those with land and power are making decisions for Mauians. Islanders need more choices for work, he said. But businesses no longer value keeping on employees by reducing hours until the clouds pass, but instead hand out pink slips and then bar the doors the next day, he said.

A few of the speakers echoed Obama’s hopeful “Yes, we can” calls. But Franco also cautioned the crowd not to make Obama their “hero,” but rather accept his call to organize and make things better together.

Adding to the rare open mixture of the political and religious, Franco also evoked the compassion and determination of Blessed Father Damien, who will soon be canonized for his work with Kaluapapa’s leprosy patients.

West Maui resort employee Joyce Afalla used the forum to push back against Mainland corporate hotel owners who she said fail to recognize unions and quietly lay off people.  [Note from FACE:  The employee's name is Mila Cocson, not Joyce Afalla.]

“To all fellow island workers, with the help of the unions, yes we can fight for our rights,” Afalla said. “We can fight for our jobs.”

Afalla also railed against Maui developers building homes for the rich rather their own. More than half the population can’t afford to buy a house, she charged.

FACE Maui leaders said they were planning a housing summit for this spring. From her seat behind the lectern, county Housing and Human Concerns Director Lori Tsuhako gave an impromptu pledge to participate.

The Rev. Tasha Kama of the Christian Ministry Church called for equity for immigrants. Families should not be separated, she said, while the immigration service should speed up the citizenship process and citizens should demand that authorities treat immigrants with dignity.

“I’m not into politics, and like Congressman Abercrombie said, they do make a lot of promises,” said Rheena Campbell, youth minister for Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Wailuku. “If they follow through, that would be a great way of showing they truly care about the community and will do what they can to help us out.”

As the child of immigrants and hotel workers, and a new wife looking for a home, Campbell said she connected with the issues presented Saturday.

The Rev. Matt Jim of the new Maui Intersection Church also said he liked what he’d heard at the Saturday gathering.

“I’m interested to see how all the denominations mesh together because we have different beliefs or ways of doing things,” Jim said.

Congregations and organizations involved in FACE Maui are: AFL-CIO Community Services, Ala Lani United Methodist Church, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Christ the King Church, Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Holy Innocents Episcopal Church, Honolua United Methodist Church, Housing for the Local Person, Jewish Congregation of Maui, Kula Catholic Community, Lahaina United Methodist Church, Maria Lanakila Catholic Church, Maui Marshallese Ministry UCC, Maui Unite, Ministerio Elim, Na Ho Aloha, New Life Community Church, Pilipina Rural Project, Save Honolua Coalition, St. Anthony Catholic Church, St. John’s Episcopal Church, St. Rita’s Catholic Church, The Christian Ministry Church, UNITE HERE Local 5, United Church of Christ Pohnpei, Vipassana Metta Foundation and Wailuku Union United Church of Christ.

Chris Hamilton can be reached at chamilton@mauinews.com.

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FACE of Maui to Hold Founding Covenant Celebration

Faith Action for Community Equity (FACE), an interfaith organization for promoting justice and equity, will celebrate its founding and commit to an action covenant at Christ the King Church in Kahului on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 9 to 11 a.m. FACE is currently comprised of 19 churches and temples, three social service agencies, two labor organizations, and one environmental group; more are joining on a regular basis.

All of the groups have agreed to put their faith into action and work together on common issues impacting the future of Maui. Each group has been conducting one-on-one and small group meetings over the last three months aimed at identifying common concerns to work on cooperatively for the betterment of the community. At an assembly held in late September, approximately 100 participants identified three common concerns and task forces were formed to refine and address these issues. At the Covenant Celebration, final action issues will be formally announced and members in attendance will read the covenant in the presence of local community and government leaders.

All interested community members are invited. If childcare is requested, it will be provided. Call Shirley DePonte at 878-6277 for additional information.

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