HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0153.001 2018-2020 P/C,ou,ic,iI
COMM. 153
COO TY CLERK
COUNTY OF HAW'A1
Dear Council Members,
201
9 MAR ' 8: l} •
I ask you to support the passing of Resolution 90-19 Resolution 91-19 and amending it to ensure disaster
funds are allocated and prioritized to disaster victims and areas.
Thank you for hearing our stories and recognizing the needs of community.island-wide. At least 50% of our
beloved Big Island is vulnerable to lava flow. This time Puna was affected, but at some point your
neighborhood might be at risk. Big Island is still an island. We are one, neighbors ALL. Community is what we
ALL want for our chosen island paradise.
My story:
My home and farm located on Highway 132 in Kapoho is isolated by lava. The house is in good condition and
catchment tank is full. I am a 20 year resident of Hawaii County, 15 years in Kapoho. My farm is intact, if
lying fallow from lack of grazing and planting. It waits only for a road that I may return to my home, and the
land return to its producing capacity.
With my family's help, I built my home in 2007, in order for me to manage my disability. By farming and
serving my community through my extensive experience teaching horticulture and animal husbandry, my home
allowed me to age in place and ensure a sustainable,productive, independent life.
My farm supported 80 animals, all of which were also evacuated and are now being cared for by our generous
farming community. Unable to secure a rental, I have been forced to leave the island to await road access to my
home. Caring, supportive friends on the mainland have taken us in, my house pets and me, providing temporary
shelter until road access is restored. Without access to my home, my future will join that of the homeless
population of Hawaii, and yet I have a perfectly good home awaiting only a road. .
My story mirrors that of many of my displaced neighbors. I am an elder with a productive farm. I have one
home, with no possibility of having another. Through the years, I have watched the needs of communities on
our island, and throughout the state, when they have been compromised by natural adversity, each being
supported and their needs addressed. We need your help this time. Hawaii is stronger whole than in pieces.
We are ONE island. ThankpP
your ou forsupport.
Y
Our lives literally depend on it.
Sincerely,
Valerie Barber
Hwy 132, Mile Marker 6, Pahoa
TMK 1-4-:014:007
Comm. NWcuunai
Ref. To:
Ref. Date MAR 12 2019