By Hawaii Catholic Herald

A new video presentation titled “Catholic Hawaii: Shelter the Homeless, Feed the Hungry” is being sent this month to all parishes in the Diocese of Honolulu by the Office of Social Ministry.

In observance of Homeless Awareness Week Nov. 12-18, the 25-minute DVD-format report on parish and diocesan ministries to the homeless and poor in Hawaii is aimed to spark a discussion in parishes on how people can get involved in similar work.

The video shows projects for the homeless in Hilo developed by the Office for Social Ministry. Director Carol Ignacio explains what her office has done in sheltering the homeless from the late 1980s through new projects like Ponahawai Ola which provides affordable housing to former prison inmates.

Vern Faxon introduces a program he helped develop called Faith Against Drugs which provides housing to former drug addicts on the Big Island.

The coverage extends to Maui’s Hale KauKau, a ministry of St. Theresa Parish, Kihei, which prepares free hot meals for the hungry 365 days a year. Hale KauKau’s kitchen manager Marie Osaki and Deacon Stan Franco are interviewed in the video about their ministries.

From Maui, the presentation moves to the temporary state shelter in Kakaako set up for the homeless previously living at Ala Moana Beach Park. Parishioners from Our Lady of Good Counsel in Pearl City and the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu volunteer to serve dinner once a month at the shelter.

Vicar general Father Marc Alexander introduces each segment of the video and the Samoan choir from Sacred Heart Church in Waianae provides musical interludes.

Each of Hawaii’s 66 parishes will receive the video with an accompanying questionnaire to solicit response from viewers.

The video was written, shot and edited by Jessica and Venny Villapando, parishioners at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa.