Sweets and Solidarity for Maui from the Honolulu Elderly Affairs Division
Cookies, jell-o, and sriracha fried rice were among the tasty treats on offer at Kapālama Hale, the City and County of Honolulu’s departments and services hub, a few months after the Maui fires when the Elderly Affairs Division (EAD) of the Department of Community Services held a bake sale to benefit the people and places affected by the disaster. Spearheaded by EAD Administrator Derrick Ariyoshi, whose entire division participated, the sale raised $3,200 that was donated to the Maui Strong Fund.
EAD is the City and County’s local area agency on aging in Honolulu, dedicated to connecting kūpuna and caregivers with essential programs and services, enabling them to live independently in their homes and communities for as long as possible.
On hand were Department of Community Services Director Anton Krucky’s brownies and EAD staff member Eric Domingo’s homemade spicy shoyu. “Everyone had something to contribute, whether it be chex mix or chili, or stepping into different roles, whether it's setting up, cleaning, cooking, running the cash register—everyone pulled their weight for this goal,” said Ariyoshi. “We are very proud of everyone who pulled together.”
The effort was deeply personal for the EAD team. On the day of the Maui fires, they were attending a statewide aging conference alongside their Maui counterparts. Witnessing the immediate impact of the disaster on their colleagues, who had to leave the conference early to respond to the crisis, left a lasting impression. “To see their reaction to the fire and then having to pack up and leave the conference early to respond to the fires hit really close to home,” Ariyoshi shared. The EAD, which works closely with the Maui County Office on Aging, wanted to do something to support their neighbors on behalf of their Maui counterparts, according to Ariyoshi. He came up with the idea for the bake sale, and he says it quickly gained unanimous support from the entire division.
Hawai‘i Community Foundation CEO and President Micah Kāne expressed his gratitude for the EAD’s efforts. “It was an amazing showing of generosity and aloha. It really touched me to see the passion and aloha spirit in our government workers who serve the public with such dedication,” he said. “Too often, they don’t get the kudos they deserve, and I’d like to take this opportunity to say mahalo to all of them.”
Ariyoshi says the EAD team hopes their donation sends a message of solidarity and support to the people of Maui. “While the present-day media coverage may not be as frequent or visible, we have not forgotten you, and we stand in solidarity and support of the people of Maui,” he emphasized. “We recognize that the work to rebuild still continues.”
Read more Stories of Impact