100 Certified Eden Associates Reached

Congratulations care partners Rosalie Alcon, Irene Alejo, Stephanie Bennett-Felipe, Jay Daguio, Faye Domingo, Temmie Faudan, Yolen Gumboc, Jenna Hedani, Hannah Humphrey, Rene Komoda, Harvey Mira, Byron  Molina, Terri Ocean, Annie Osorno, Mary Jane Pacubas, Joy Palazzotto, Diana Pascual, Miriam Rebolledo, Wendy Roseland, Lalena Thompson, Editha Tumacder and Natalie Turnbull, who underwent an intensive three-day training to become Certified Eden Associates (CEAs)! This graduating class brings our total up to 100 Certified Eden Associates at Hale Makua Health Services!

Moving Decision-Making Closer to Elders

Hale Makua Wailuku resident William Shigetani’s daughter-in-law brought in bananas for Mr. Shigetani and staff. There were so many bananas care partner and Neighborhood Clerk Lily Vergara thought it would be nice to make something different with the bananas for Mr. Shigetani to try. At lunch time she fried and boiled the bananas and brought them to Mr. Shigetani. While he was skeptical at first, he tried the fried bananas and enjoyed them so much that he told Lily that he didn’t want to share them with the other residents.

This is an example of Eden Alternative Principle 8: “An Elder-centered community honors its Elders by de-emphasizing top-down bureaucratic authority, seeking instead to place the maximum possible decision-making authority into the hands of the Elders or those closest to them”.