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Credit Francisco Armangac
ALEA Bridge partners with YMCA to house homeless at Camp Erdman
The YMCA's Camp Erdman is located in Kaena Point State Park on the North Shore of Oahu, on wild, windswept Mokuleia Beach. Most kids on Oahu spend a few nights there in the 4th or 5th Grade. When I talked with Andrew Keener, executive director at the camp, he was really exciged about a new COVID collaboration. The Huliau Program has put his team back to work, and replaced his usual student campers with people who have been living on the beach or in cars. These people are Dee Nakamura's clients. Dee was homeless herself but she started working with ALEA Bridge, the main homeless service provider on the North Shore. This new Huliau collaboration with the Y was kicked off on City COVID funds. They'd requested $46,000, and were granted $200,000. Forty people have made it off the beach so far through the Huliau Program, and 14 people are in permanent housing for Christmas - including a family with 4 kids.