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BY DANIEL DE CASTRO –
The Kiwanis Club’s western district encompassing California, Nevada and Hawaii recently awarded its “Family of the Year” award to The Salvation Army’s Lieutenants Beau and Mandy Perez and their family. The Perezes are the corps officers assigned to the Kaneohe Corps of The Salvation Army serving Windward Oahu.
This is the first time that this award has been given to a Hawaii family. The Kiwanis Club of Kaneohe first nominated the Perez family at the state level. The Perezes were then successfully chosen as the awardees at the district level held during the Kiwanis convention in San Diego, California on August 12.
“We are truly honored to receive the Family of the Year award,” said Beau Perez. As Salvation Army corps officers, the Perezes have been actively involved in the Windward community. In addition to being administrators and pastors at The Salvation Army corps, both have been involved with the Windward Interagency Network, a partnership of churches, social service agencies and community-minded individuals seeking to enhance the quality of life in the Windward area. Their work at the church has also grown to an expanded outreach to the homeless in the parks, and building partnerships with other churches in the Windward district.
The Perezes have three young girls Lydia, Gloria and Abigail — and one newborn boy, Daniel. “I’m so proud of my girls because they, too, have taken an interest in being involved in the community,” said Perez. The girls are active in Sunbeams “They regularly go with their mother to visit nursing homes with the League of Mercy and provide companionship to senior residents in Kaneohe. Lydia and Gloria even dance the hula to keep the old folks entertained,” added Perez with a smile.
The Kiwanis Club is an international organization with more than three million members in 8,000 clubs in over 80 countries. It is dedicated to rendering altruistic service and building better communities around the world.
