Kauaʻi County Rise to Work Program
2020
Kauaʻi County's Rise to Work program helped provide temporary job opportunities during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. Program participants were able to work with local employers and gain valuable professional connections during the 12-week program.
Through Rise to Work, the Old Kapaʻa Town Business Hui was able to employ a blog writer, web designer, and many other creative freelancers to help develop content and tools for the businesses of Old Kapaʻa Town.
About the Writer
Elizabeth Lindsay, Blog Writer
Aloha mai, I’m Elizabeth, the writer. I’m also a researcher, historian and aloha ‘āina activist. Aloha ‘āina (love for the land) grounds me and connects me to Kaua‘i, my home, where I was born and raised, and now where I’m raising my own little ‘ohana.
Together we holoholo, adventure for pleasure, visiting our favorite places around our moku (island). As kanaka, our connection to this ‘āina is alive and strengthened when we mālama kā honua, or care for this earth.
My favorite places in Old Kapa‘a Town are Pono Coffee & Bakery and Java Kai, where I grab a drink to sip on before heading to the bike path to be in nature. I enjoy simple things like wearing mu‘umu‘u, making lei, and talking story. I find inspiration at shops like Vicky’s Fabric, KIKO, and Work It Out.
I was presented an opportunity this summer to write about Old Kapa‘a Town, my hometown. I knew I wanted to share stories about the people, history and culture so I started to research information at the Kapa‘a Library, the Kaua‘i Historical Society and other various archives online.
The details in documents laid out small pieces of a larger history. So, I met with Kupuna of Kapa‘a to dive deeper into the knowledge of the past and to hear their stories of Old Kapa‘a Town. From Kupuna I learned more about the rich history of the town than could ever be learned from textbooks or photologs.
I am humbled and honored to share Kupuna Stories of Old Kapa‘a Town to highlight the beauty of this small town, a place that has become an attraction for so many, and a place for people to come and enjoy.
About the Designer
Shaina Nacion, Graphic & Web Designer
Aloha — I am Shaina Nacion: designer, CEO, and founder of Shaina Nacion Creative Studio.
Through the Rise to Work program, my team and I helped to create the Old Kapaʻa Town website, logo, and other graphics for the small businesses of OKT. We loved collaborating with everyone — photographers, stylists, and small business owners — to design everything from signage to stickers and more.
During the pandemic, we were so happy to see the passion and problem solving skill that everyone brought to this project. We all worked together to help empower the small business community, even when things were tough.
Although this project was challenging in its scope, we are so proud and honored to have been a part of something we feel is vital to the health of small locally-owned businesses here on Kauaʻi. We look forward to supporting the businesses of OKT for many years to come!
