June 20, 2015—Hawaii Tribune-Herald
The leader of a nonprofit group providing services to the homeless said there are “no surprises” in the drastic increase in the number of homeless people on the Big Island.
“We know it’s on the rise as more and more families and individuals lose their income, lose their jobs, and have no other resources to maintain their housing,” Brandee Menino, chief executive officer of HOPE Services Hawaii Inc., said Friday.
Jeremy McComber, HOPE Services’ operations director, said the group, which operates as part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu and was formerly known as Office for Social Ministry, has about 20 programs for homeless individuals, and is the “largest provider of (transitional) shelter on the Big Island, with about 600 beds around the island.” Read more…