Helping children to have stability, security, and love is at the heart of what motivates Lisa Jacobs to do her invaluable work, as founder and president of Better Way Divorce, also known as Pono Divorce. The desire to help others has always been an integral part of Lisa; a seed planted in her by her social worker mother.
After graduating from college with an honors degree in creative writing Karen Worthington wasn’t sure what she was going to do next. She wanted to go to grad school, but was torn between social work and law.
For our board member, Dr. Susan Chandler, why and what are two essential words that have been a driving force in her life. Always curious about how systems work and the impact they have on people, Susan has been questioning and challenging the status quo throughout her impressive career.
“Your name is unusual. What’s the origins of your surname?” Patrick Yim asked at the very beginning of our conversation. Names have always been important to him. Having traced his own Chinese and Hawaiian ancestry back for generations, he knows that names carry not only a legacy, but a link to the essence from where we come.
EPIC has been fortunate to have outstanding Board members since its earliest days and in this newsletter we will pay tribute to four who have passed away. These members may no longer be with us, but they planted seeds of hope and inspiration that are still thriving in EPIC today.
Becoming a social worker wasn’t on 20-year-old Arlynna Livingston’s career radar, but the birth of twins and the daunting task of self-financing a Ph.D. in psychology gave her the push she needed to look into career alternatives. Social work, it turned out, was the perfect fit.
EPIC has been fortunate to have many outstanding board members, and Peter Lewis is no exception.
Clear, authentic communication is what Betty Ching holds most dear. In her work as a therapist, mediator, and social worker, empowering people to have a voice and speak their truth has always been Betty’s purpose.
Launched in 2018, the Youth Partner Program (YP), has grown to nine Youth Partners serving youth on all islands. YP's are young adults between 18-27 with lived experience in systems (foster care, mental health, juvenile justice) who are passionate about supporting young people and helping them navigate the systems. Recently, we asked youth partners to share their thoughts on the program. We hope you enjoy reading their insights and stories as much as we did.
People who participate in the Nā Kama work bring a wide variety of experiences and perspectives. One may be a cultural practitioner. One may be a person whose experiences include homelessness or substance abuse and children placed into foster care. One may be a leader in a state agency or a nonprofit agency. One may be a frontline worker who works every day with families or young people.
Join us in welcoming our new Program Development Manager, Lise Vaughan-Sekona. Lise has a passion for justice and service. After learning of the transformative work at EPIC 'Ohana has been doing in and for our community, she became interested in being a part of the organization
Kim Nabarro is a Parent Partner within the Family Wrap Hawaii department
Wilma Friesema is the ‘Ohana Connections and Staff Development Manager
Mandy Jimenez Casian is a Youth Circle Facilitator
Corina Calvo is an ‘Ohana Conference Specialist (Coordinator)
Patty is the Pono Process Lead /HI HOPES Match Kaua’i Site Coordinator.
