Community Services/Non-Profits near Hanapepe, HI

“We were needing a shirt for my husband, so we tried this place out. The prices were great! Lots of new Target items with reasonable prices. We were pleasantly surprised with the selection of Hawaiian shirts too! The employee at the register was kind and helpful! If you need building materials, you should try this place first.”

“A few times in life, the stars align and you are whisked off to a magical place. That was the case when I was invited along to the Lawai International Center last Sunday. The center is only open 2 Sundays a month and reservations are required. We arrived a little early and were given some jasmine tea and some manju. Before we were allowed up on the hillside, we listened to Lynn explain the history, her hands and body moving, swaying with her words, like she was meditating or doing tai chi as she spoke. It was a fascinating history, the site once a Hawaiian heiau, Taoist temple, Shinto shrine, and Buddhist temple. A hundred years ago or so, Japanese immigrants recreated 88 small shrines like the 88 Shikoku Temple shrines and the site was only remembered by a little old Japanese lady. When her sons went off to WWII, she came and gathered a little soil from each of the small shrines and put them in a little bag for her sons to carry. And they returned from the war alive. Although the site became overgrown with weeds and trees, the Japanese woman continued to come until others came and helped to uncover, tend, and rebuild. It's a wonderful testament to the power of the place and the dedication of Lynn and her volunteers. Before heading up the hill, you are given a walking stick and asked not to talk once you are on the hillside., First stop is the Hall of Compassion, built without nails in the style of 13th century temple builders. Then up the hill you walk to visit each small shrines. Orchids abound. It is truly a mystical place.NOTE: at the base of the hill is the portable toilet- the most deluxe one I've ever seen. As well as some goats and a friendly donkey.”