TOUCH A HEART NEWSLETTER | JANUARY 21, 2026
Building Skills and Futures
Our new interns Paul, Keawe, Malachi, Hi‘ilei, and Joanna proudly show off the first dish they prepared—loco moco—as part of our foodservice vocational training program. (Not pictured: Moses)
We're excited to welcome our first foodservice vocational training cohort of 2026—a group of six interns stepping into this next chapter with courage, curiosity, and a desire to grow. This cohort is especially meaningful, as five of the six interns come to us from Lydia House.
Operated by Liliʻuokalani Trust, Lydia House is a puʻuhonua (place of refuge) that serves youth and young adults who are at risk or experiencing homelessness. At the end of last year, members of our team visited Lydia House to share more about Touch A Heart and our program. Alumna Dianthe also offered residents a firsthand perspective on growth and possibility through her firsthand experience. That visit sparked interest and encouraged several residents to take this next step. Our relationship with Lydia House has continued to grow through regular ʻOhana Meals deliveries, and the Lydia House team also encourages learning to cook as an important life skill.
Through our 8-week program, the interns will receive hands-on culinary training, hard and soft skills development, Hawaiʻi Department of Health Food Handler Certification training, resume and interview preparation, job placement support, and opportunities to learn from guest speakers and field trips.
Each intern enters the program with their own goals. Malachi hopes to become "more financially stable," while Joanna is looking forward to "learning a certain way to cook and gaining experience for possible future jobs " For Hi'ilei, this is her first job, and she shared, "I feel like I'm going to be more independent and have some money on the side." Keawe is excited for new experiences and building pilina (relationships), with the goal of becoming "better than the person I walked in as from day one." Moses is eager to gain knowledge and "more experience," and Paul, who joined through the American Job Center, is excited about "doing something new" and building his self- esteem.
As this cohort begins their journey, we're grateful for the trust they've placed in us and our community. Please join us in welcoming Malachi, Joanna, Hi'ilei, Keawe, Moses, and Paul as they begin this new season.