By UH Med Now student journalist Jessica Olga Henao
The Hawaiʻi H.O.M.E. Project is sending out a big “thank you” to all the magnificent donors,volunteers and students that helped make possible the 7th Annual Food and Wine Tasting Fundraiser a success!
This year’s 7th Annual H.O.M.E. Project Food and Wine Fundraiser had one of the largest and most successful turnouts held at the Waikiki Aquarium and a touching story from a local family, which attended the event and has been combating homelessness in Oʻahu, the Martins. Hawaiʻi International Film Festival presented a documentary about the Martin’s life story on homelessness [Dear Thalia Documentary].
The Martin Family at the HOME Auction/Fundraiser
For more pictures of the event, click here!
The H.O.M.E. Project Food and Wine Fundraiser had 17 sponsored tables at the event and a platinum table sponsored by Dr. Thomas S. Kosasa, MD. The majority of the funds allocated to the H.O.M.E. Project are from external sponsors and not by JABSOM or the state. H.O.M.E. also raises donations through bake sales held at JABSOM.
Honolulu restaurants that participated in the annual big event at the aquarium were Royʻs, The Pig and The Lady, Chez Kenzo and JABSOM’s own MD student chef station donated their time and service to the fundraiser. The H.O.M.E. project fundraisers
At the event there were full service tables which allowed medical students get involved as student chefs and servers at the event.
MS-4 Steffan Soosman serving at the H.O.M.E. Project Food and Wine Fundraiser.
MS-4 and H.O.M.E. Project manager Steffan Soosman enjoyed his time volunteering at the H.O.M.E. Project Food and Wine Fundraiser. At the event he helped by being server and got to engage with with other medical students, as well as network with physicians in his interest of specialty, Radiology. Soosman said that it was great to see physicians from the community, new faces and JABSOM faculty be a part of great cause. Soosman has been a volunteer in the H.O.M.E. project since his first year at JABSOM and now a project manager at H.O.M.E. The H.O.M.E. project sees about 30 to 40 patients per week and has four clinics a week.
“I have been a part of the H.O.M.E. Project for four years now and it has been a rewarding experience because the project is very unique program that allows you to have direct patient interaction immediately, while being in medical school,” said MS-4 and H.O.M.E. Project manager Soosman. “And being a part of this project is so useful because you gain medical experience, learn about the complexity of the homelessness problem here in Hawaiʻi, as well as receiving education on how communicate with patients and treat their medical needs.”
The event also featured student chefs and among them was former culinary chef and MS-1 Jon Cheng and Matthew Lim volunteering. Having the student chefs a part of the fundraiser was an impromptu decision and a successful one. The students prepared Asian braised pork shoulder, pickled red onions and grilled green onions and kids meal pick-up and last but least, for desert coconut bread pudding. Along with the student chefs were classmates of their’s that helped out as sous chefs in the event. Cheng said that he was introduced to the Martin’s family story at a homelessness panel and that is where he learned about ‘Dear Thalia.’ Thalia is the three-year old daughter of the Martins. He also helped the homeless people at the Kakaʻako encampment when the sweep season came around.
“It has been rewarding for me to be a part of this cause and learn more about Hawaiʻi’s homeless population,” said Cheng. “The homelessness issue in Hawaiʻi is something I feel passionate about and just being able to understand, learn, help and work in any way, because it’s very tangible and present here in Hawaiʻi.”There he got to meet the Martins and got to know them a little more. Cheng said that it was rewarding to help out and get involved with the homeless community.
MS-1 student and chef Jon Cheng
“The Martins are just like us, a normal family, they work, they have same problems we do–it’s just their problems get amplified because they don’t have a home,” said MS-1 student and student chef Cheng. “Putting a face that you can connect to homelessness is very important and the Martins have helped a lot with that.”
Founder of H.O.M.E. Project Dr. Jill Omori and faculty has expressed great gratitude of this year’s 7th Annual H.O.M.E. project Food and Wine Fundraiser. Omori says that the fundraiser has helped build awareness of the homeless community in Hawaiʻi. Omori explained that the core of the H.O.M.E Project strongly resonated with its root meaning “Hoʻola me ke kahiau” from Hawaiian language that means: “Healing compassion through selfless giving.” Omori said that the Martins use to be patients of the H.O.M.E. clinic and are advocates and face of the homeless community. Due to the documentary being made about the Martin family, they have received positive attention and help from people. The Martin’s with the same generosity given to them, they have been mindful in giving back to the homeless community in Honolulu humbly. The Martin family attend various city council hearings and state hearings pertaining to homelessness in Hawaiʻi and have worked closely with ACLU lawyers. The Martins give an inside perspective to the people of Hawaiʻi of what its like to be homeless family. Omori said that the attendees felt fulfilled gaining more knowledge about homelessness, getting to meet the Martins and getting to see the van. The H.O.M.E. project sponsors received stemless wine glasses as their party favor and macaroons. The centerpieces were flower pots hand-painted by children at homeless shelters and those pots had sunflowers in them.
Founder of H.O.M.E. Project Dr. Jill Omori and the Martin family
One the couple’s that attended the fundraiser were moved with the homelessness issue in Hawaiʻi. They had a unit in their property and decided that they wanted to provide housing for a homeless family and it just so happened to be that the Martinʻs were still looking for housing. The H.O.M.E. project connected the Martin family to the couple and they just moved in. Next year will H.O.M.E.’s 10th year anniversary.
“I’m extremely grateful because there’s so much generosity out there, but excited to see the turnout and support,” Dr. Omori