April Ohana Open Market and Information Fair

Food Distribution and Information Fair

On the second Friday of each month, VA Pacific Islands Health Care System (VAPIHCS) hold a food distribution event and information fair at the Daniel K. Akaka VA Clinic in Kapolei. This week the clinic celebrated its one-year anniversary. The Akaka clinic opened on April 8, 2024, and in only a year, it has become a hub for Veterans to connect with services and programs through VA, and through the community. The Ohana Open Market events allow Veterans and active-duty service members to pick up cost-free groceries, and to browse the information fair set up in the clinic lobby. 

“This is a great event for us because it helps us care for our neighborhood,” said Center for Development and Civic Engagement (CDCE) Chief Schoen Safotu. “The outpouring of support from our community partners really means a lot, and I want to thank everyone who comes together to make this possible.” 

The food distribution event is organized in coordination with the Hawaii Foodbank and the Armed Services Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). The information fair is a coordination of community partners who come to talk with Veterans about services they offer. Some of the booths this month included Big Tire Boot Camp, CapTel Captioned Telephones, National Life Group, EXP Realty, the Pearl City Elks Lodge, the American Job Center, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Grand Canyon University. VAPIHCS services also came out to support the event, with vaccines offered and booths from Caregiver Support, Radiology, and other departments. The outpouring of support from VAPIHCS staff and community partners makes the Ohana open market a fantastic opportunity for Veterans to learn about all that is available to them. 

“My father was a Veteran, and I wish this clinic, and these services were available when he was still with us,” said Past President of the Rotary Club of Ewa Beach Jade Miyazaki. “Having this here now -I’m so glad that the Akaka clinic was built and I’m so thankful for all the wonderful things they offer. We at the Rotary are excited to volunteer -to support all that this clinic offers and all that it represents. We’re proud to have this in our community.” 

The Rotary club has donated several wagons to the CDCE to help move donations around, but they have also offered support by volunteering to set up and tear down at events, and to pass out food to Veterans. They are just one of many organizations that sends volunteers each month to ensure that food is unpacked, organized, and passed out in an orderly manner. From active-duty military volunteers to organizations such as the Red Cross, volunteers help make the event a success every month. This month, vaccines were also offered. 

“Getting vaccinated is the number one way to prevent severe outcomes from illness,” said Clinical Pharmacist Ashley Kanada. Preventative health care saves money by helping to avoid hospitalizations, and it also saves lives. It’s the best way for Veterans to protect themselves and their communities.” 

Coffee and Conversations

In the conference rooms near the mental health check-in area, a Coffee and Conversations event was organized by the American Veterans (AMVETS) Ladies’ Auxiliary, Grand Canyon University, and the VAPIHCS Women’s Health program. The Coffee and Conversations event is held at every other Ohana Open Market. The next even will be held on June 13, 2025. 

“We set up this event as a way for women Veterans to socialize in a nonjudgmental environment and have fun together with coffee and conversations,” said Grand Canyon University (GCU) Development Counselor and AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary member Dana Weber. “We also have fun activities and a chance for women Veterans to get information about VA services and programs.” 

The February event featured cookie decorating for Valentine’s Day. The April event featured Bingo, and a station to make spring-themed cards. Having activities helps add to the event by letting women Veterans socialize in a low-pressure way, and this month GCU brought spring baskets as prizes for Bingo winners which added to the excitement. VAPIHCS employees were glad to help set up and run the event. 

“Today we’re going to touch on so many of the Whole Health Circles of Health,” said Whole Health Program Manager and VAPIHCS Psychologist Dr. Tanecia Blue. “We’re socializing in healing surroundings with our friends, family, and co-workers. Whole Health teaches us to look at what matters most to us in all these different areas, and when we are mindful and we look for opportunities like this, we can improve our wellbeing.” 

The coffee and conversations model of outreach is popular across many VA programs. Like the Coffee with a Cop events done by the VAPIHCS Police Force, the presence of food and beverages helps create an atmosphere of comfort, allowing Veterans to feel safe. Many Veterans have connected with VA because of outreach programs like this one, which seek to create environments of psychological safety. However, it isn’t just about Veterans connected with VA. Coffee and Conversations is also an opportunity for Veterans to connect with each other. 

“These events are a chance for Veterans to experience the power of networking,” said Acting Deputy of Patient Care Services and Windward Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) Chief Grace Pakele. “They can also make friends, share ideas, and support each other. These events started because of Women’s Health Program Manager Denise Koutrouba, and although she couldn’t be here today, she is usually the first one to share how helpful events like this have been to women Veterans.” 

Some women made cards for their friends or family, but many made spring cards to add to a box which the AMVETS Ladies’ Auxiliary will take around to nursing homes so ensure that Veterans get cards to decorate their rooms for the spring holidays. This program was started by AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary President Doris Edwards, whose husband was in the VAPIHCS Community Living Center (CLC). Edwards always brought cards and snacks for her husband, but she noticed that not all Veterans had someone to send them cards for the holidays. She began the program to deliver birthday cards and holiday cards to Veterans at the CLC, and later to other nursing homes in Oahu. Eventually the program spread state-wide. 

“The thing I love most about these events is that it brings women together to support each other,” said Lead Medical Support Assistant (MSA) and Army Veteran Delisa Smith. “Even if I had a hard week, I know I could come together with my Ladies’ Auxiliary friends and with other women Veterans and feel lifted up and supported.” 

Medication Takeback Event

In recent years, the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System (VAPIHCS) brought more services in-house to help reduce costs and improve patient experiences for Veterans in the Pacific Islands. One of the services that is new is the VA Police Force. VA Police are at locations in the mainland United States. However, VA never had a dedicated police force in the Pacific Islands. Bringing policing in-house eliminates the need for more expensive private security contractors, but it also brings a new model of policing to VAPIHCS. 

“The biggest reason to have our own police force is to protect the Veterans,” said Lt. Malcom Yee. “I think staff and Veterans feel safer knowing that VA Police are here to protect them and ensure their safety when they come for health care.” 

This month, the VA Police held a Medication Takeback Event in conjunction with the April Ohana Open Market. Expired or unused medications pose a danger if disposed of improperly, but they also pose a danger if left around the home where children, senior citizens with dementia, pets, or other innocent victims can find and accidentally ingest them. Collecting unused medications helps keep communities safer. 

“Part of the VA police commitment to American’s safety and health is encouraging members of the public to remove unused medications from their home,” said Acting Chief of Police Richard Hough. “This is a way to prevent medication misuse, addiction, or overdose, and to improve the safety of our community.”

VA Police also take a more holistic approach to their work. They focus on helping Veterans in difficult situations to have their needs met, rather than focusing on involving them in the legal system. Many problems can be best solved with the help of a social worker or a mental health professional, and VAPIHCS Police will be working hard to ensure the safety of all Veterans at the Akaka clinic. In the future, VAPIHCS hopes to have VA Police in other clinics as well.