The Kupuna Care Collaborative Service Project gathered 34 care packages filled with essential items for Hale Mahaolu Eono. Sacred Hearts School and Maria Lanakila Church worked together on the project for the second year.

LAHAINA — The mission of Sacred Hearts School is to provide Excellence in Education and to nurture a life of Prayer, Faith, and Service in the Catholic tradition.

Tonata Lolesio kicked off her second year as principal by embracing these concepts and leading the Kupuna Care School Service Project alongside Michelle Rosenthal, the Parish Social Ministry coordinator for Maria Lanakila Church.

The project began last year when the two teamed together to create this “giving back” to the community project. Family, friends and parish members donated much-needed items for the local kupuna in need at the Hale Mahaolu Eono Living Center.

Items collected throughout August included toilet paper, paper towels, dish soap, hand soap and tissues. The project goals were met through weekly announcements in the school and church newsletter, as well as House Leaders encouraging their members to bring in donations.

Both Lolesio and Rosenthal are no strangers to community outreach. Michelle has also worked on projects for the Maui Rescue Mission, Women Helping Women, A Cup of Cold Water and Feed My Sheep, to name just a few.

Tonata worked for several years as the Religious Education director, preparing children from the community to receive their Sacraments.

Now, as principal, she has created more scholarship opportunities for Catholic children and those involved with the Religious Education Program.

Tonata shared that “this partnership between school and parish outreach is so important because it allowed us to provide more for our kupuna, and they deserve that. Every year we hope to be able to provide for their needs. It takes a village.”

Sherrie Shinyama Smith, who received the donation bags on behalf of Hale Mahaolu Eono last week, was incredibly thankful to both Maria Lanakila Church and Sacred Hearts School.

She commented, “Our groundsman delivered items to their doors, and many came down to my office to give thanks. Several kupuna were especially surprised by the quarter donation!”

One resident also shared that she was running out of these things, and the timing was perfect.

The Kupuna Care Collaborative Service Project was able to provide 34 care packages filled with essential items for Hale Mahaolu Eono and enough extra paper products to last through next month.

The parish also supplemented the bags with laundry detergent and $5 each in quarters for the washing machines.

The gift bags included a prayer card that read: “We remember you in our prayers.”