When Life Gives Lemons, Throw a Party
Written by Eli Matola
When acts of virtue occur around us, we witness the strength of our community. When the dust settles is when such acts start. Hurricane Iselle made landfall in Puna one year ago. In less that time, lava reached Pahoa. While much has been done to restore the Puna district, more can be done.
University of Hawaii at Hilo alumni and Anthropology majors Alexis Ching and Marina Kelley both currently work with the university's Anthropology Department, under Professor of Anthropology, Dr. Lynn Morrison. These alumni are research assistants for the Puna Disaster Resiliency study. While assisting with the study, Ching and Kelly were inspired to take on a labor of love. The two explained that after spending so much time in the Puna district, attending community meetings, and visiting families affected by the hurricane and lava flow, they wanted to give back.
This month on Saturday, October 24, 2015 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Pahoa Village's Main Street, Ching and Kelley will assist with the Puna Resiliency Block Party. This free event will feature art, children's activities, food, live music, local vendors, and a photo booth. It will host the County of Hawaii's Civil Defense and the American Red Cross as well as community emergency response teams and information booths by connection networks and other emergency organizations.
The Puna Resiliency Block Party promotional poster. Photo courtesy of Eli Matola.
The purpose of the Puna Resiliency Block Party is to promote growth and support for Puna and local businesses. In a desire to emphasize the event's power to celebrate the Puna community's resiliency, it was given its attention-grabbing name. Ching asserted that the community, through the hurricane and lava flow incidents, became close and that she wants to retain that closeness with the party.
To Kelley, the party is about positivity. “We are trying to teach people about disaster readiness in a positive environment while also giving the media a chance to see the positive aspect of our community," she stated.
Ching added, “How you react to something is what makes it a disaster or not. [W]e are trying to change the way people look at [that something], [because] we want to show that we can co-exist with nature, and it's challenges”
The alumni ask that everyone come out and show their resiliency. Also while you are at it, join their Facebook page, Puna Resiliency Block party.
