June Makana Pono
Posted on June 7, 2020
Makana Pono: Employee Giving Program
| For many people, access to clean water is easy and plentiful. Water flows from our kitchen and bathroom taps. It can be hard to imagine life without access to this vital resource. Yet, some families in the Philippines lack adequate access to potable water, which has an enormous impact on their health and safety. June’s Makana Pono awardee, Ava Gaile Tacata, RN, hopes to help families gain access to clean water. She selected the LIGHT Mission through New Hope Leeward to receive her $5,000 Makana Pono contribution. The LIGHT Mission through New Hope Leeward is working to install filtration systems in the small barrio of the Southern Philippines. Since the project started, community health has improved and the area has seen fewer cases of water-related illnesses. The Makana Pono contribution will help expand the project. “When I first saw a video clip of what the mission does, I was moved,” said Ava. “It makes me happy to help the families with something as simple as gaining access to clean and potable water through the installation of a cleaning system.” In July, Ava will celebrate her two-year anniversary of joining Islands Hospice as a hospice nurse. During her work week, she visits and assesses patients, making sure that they are in a comfortable state. She helps patients manage symptoms and provides support to families. She also helps train new nurses and promotes quality customer care. Ava is a supporter of Compassion International, a child sponsorship and Christian humanitarian organization, and HUGS, a group working to strengthen Hawaii’s families with seriously ill children. “I am grateful for this recognition. Thank you to those who nominated me,” said Ava. “Most of all I am happy to be used and a vessel of God’s hand to touch those |