Non‑Discrimination Policy
Reflecting on Our 1946 Founding
Posted June 23, 2016
As we celebrate our 70th Anniversary this year, it is a time to reflect on our beginnings and remember those who have helped Hale Makua Health Services become the organization it is today. We are forever grateful to the Maui United Young Buddhist Association (YBA) and the Wailuku Hongwanji for their vital roles in establishing a safe place for Maui’s elders during World War II.
At the end of the War in 1945, the members of the YBA wanted to resume their religious and recreational activities on their premises, so they sponsored a drive for funds to build a new home.
A governing and policy making body for the Home was appointed by the Maui Community Council, and included representatives from the Maui Community Council, YBA, Salvation Army, Wailuku Sugar Company, and Department of Public Welfare. The organizing meeting of the Board of Trustees was held Friday, September 20, 1946. Temporary Chairman, August Markham, presided over the meeting, which also included Katsuyuki Izumi, MD, Alvin K. Silva, Elaine Dent, Washburn Baldwin, Albert Jenkins and Seichi Makino. Also present was Capt. Charles W. Griffen of the Salvation Army, who oversaw administration of the Home.
This group spent months planning a fund drive, and after receiving the endorsement of the Maui Community Chest, fundraising led by Katsuyuki Izumi, Seichi Makino and Donald Tokunaga began in July 1946. In just four weeks the group raised $17,000 to purchase huts from the Army and other necessary supplies to build a new home.
Contractor and YBA member, Charles Nagamatsu, drew the plans for the Home and supervised its construction. Wailuku Sugar Company offered one acre of land to rent for one dollar per year, and much of the carpentry work was donated by members and friends of the YBA.
“120 volunteer workers answered the call of the United Y.B.A. for kokua on the construction of the Maui Old Men’s Home and the new site in Happy Valley was completely cleared and graded, while eight of the 11 army buildings at Waikapu were dismantled and moved to the new site.” (Excerpt from the August 10, 1946 issue of The Maui News.)
Because of the tremendous support of Maui’s community, in early 1947, the 16 elders who were living at the YBA Hall were transferred to a new Home for 35. Hale Makua’s first home in Happy Valley (above) remained open until July 1953.
Hale Makua would not be what it is today without the help of the Maui community and supporters like you. While the organization has grown to provide a home to over 400 individuals, our commitment to our community remains the same, and we continue to need your help in providing homes and healthcare for Maui’s kupuna. Please consider supporting this community legacy by making a tax deductible gift online here.