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 OFFICER BYRON ANAYA, Sergeant John Kawena’oli of the Honolulu Police Department and Cadets Kelly and Katie Nolan are surrounded by children from the Kauluwela Mission Corps. |
What do a police officer, a firefighter, and a Salvation Army officer all have in common?
Yes, they all save lives…but in addition to that, those are some of the careers that were highlighted during a week long Youth Intervention Program conducted by The Salvation Army Kauluwela Mission Corps in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The program was presented at the Mayor Wright Housing, a low-income housing development for needy families. The entire program was written, planned and conducted by Joy Groenleer, youth director at the Kauluwela Mission Corps.
With the help of Cadets Kelly and Katie Nolan, Corps Officers Majors George and Florence Rodriguera and others, 23 children ages 5-14 were encouraged to think about their future and inspired to reach for their dream occupation.
The message was clear: stay in school, work hard, and in the words of the theme song, “with God’s help and blessing, I can be anything I choose.”
The week was filled with fun games, songs, snacks, crafts, guest speakers, and even a trip to the beach. As a testimony to the success of the program, a questionnaire given at the end of the week revealed that 100% of the children would attend the program next year!
