Hoʻopili Kaiāulu Resource Fair Connects Hundreds With Community Services at Honolulu District Court

Hundreds of people gathered at Kauikeaouli Hale, the Honolulu District Court, on May 22 as the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary’s Adult Client Services Branch (ACSB) hosted the Hoʻopili Kaiāulu Resource Fair in the ground-floor courtyard of the courthouse.

By the time the fair opened at 11 a.m., a line of attendees stretched from the courthouse onto Hotel Street and all the way to Richards Street as people waited to connect with the 24 service providers participating in the event.

Pictured above: Charlene Miller, a volunteer from the River of Life Mission, is one of several people who provided free hair cuts at the resource fair.

The fair — whose name roughly translates to “connecting the community” — was designed to bring services and resources together in one centralized location for individuals experiencing homelessness, hardship, or other barriers to stability. The event also served justice-involved individuals, including participants from Hawaiʻi Drug Court, Veterans Treatment Court, Mental Health Court, Women’s Court, and general ACSB probation, while welcoming anyone in the community in need of support and services.

Organizers said more than 300 people attended the two-hour event.

Pictured above: Attendees, service providers, volunteers, and Judiciary staff filled the courtyard at Honolulu District Court during the the Hoʻopili Kaiāulu Resource Fair on May 22.

Available services included housing assistance, employment assistance, legal aid, SNAP/EBT assistance, mental health services, hygiene supplies, menstrual hygiene products, crisis support, wound care, clothing, and assistance with obtaining identification and vital documents. Attendees were also able to browse donated clothing, shoes, and other essential items available free of charge throughout the event. Free haircuts were also provided, with more than 25 people receiving haircuts during the fair.

Community Outreach Court Judges Thomas Haia and Shellie Park-Hoapili, along with other First Circuit District Court judges, donated funds to provide approximately 300 meals to attendees. Dane Waltjer, owner of The Blind Spot convenience store at Honolulu District Court, also donated meals and drinks for staff and service providers participating in the event.

“Our ACSB staff put an incredible amount of work into making this event happen,” said TinaAnn Heatherly, a Section Administrator for the Adult Client Services Branch. “From collecting and organizing donations, coordinating providers, setting up the event, and getting the word out to the community, this really was a team effort from start to finish.”

Pictured above: Jessica Fernando (left) and Greg Hall (right), Probation Officers from the Wahiawā District Court Unit, distributed meals at the resource fair.

Heatherly described the fair as a “one-stop shop” for individuals who may otherwise struggle to navigate multiple agencies and service systems on their own, noting that the location was ideal because “everything people may need is wrapped up in this one space.”

ACSB staff and community partners worked to spread the word about the event in advance. Flyers were distributed throughout downtown Honolulu in the days leading up to the fair. Staff also spent weeks collecting, sorting, organizing, and preparing donations for the fair, helping create a large clothing and essentials distribution area for attendees in need.

The Resource Fair expanded upon outreach efforts from ACSB’s Fall 2025 Service Fair, previously held at Kaʻahumanu Hale, the Honolulu Circuit Court.

Pictured above: Tasha Aloisio (left) was one of 11 people from the Dynamic Healing Center to attend the resource fair with Orin Lucas (right).

Among those attending the fair was Orin Lucas of Dynamic Healing Center, a nonprofit specializing in substance abuse treatment. Lucas brought clients from the program to the event so they could connect with available community resources and services.

“We brought 11 of our clients, and the objective was to link them to resources in the community,” Lucas said. “Everything that we found fits that need.”

Lucas said the range of services available at the fair stood out.

“There’s stuff to do with housing, Med-QUEST, legal assistance, pet resources, mental health — the whole nine yards, even haircuts,” Lucas said. “It’s got everything that people in general would need to continue to live their lives and be successful.”

Lucas described the fair as an example of government and community organizations working together to support vulnerable populations.

“A lot of times these folks get overlooked, and it’s good that local and state officials are putting things like this together to support their community,” Lucas said.

Tasha Aloisio, who attended the fair with Lucas, said she appreciated both the variety of services available and the welcoming atmosphere.

“I just wanted to see what services they provided and what help I could gain from coming here,” Aloisio said. “They definitely have a wide variety of things that could help everyone in the community.”

“It was nice to gain this experience and know that there’s all of this help out in the community for us,” she added.

The Hoʻopili Kaiāulu Resource Fair reflects the Judiciary’s ongoing effort to strengthen partnerships with service providers and reduce barriers to assistance for individuals working toward recovery and stability.

Pictured above: TinaAnn Heatherly (far left), a Section Administrator for the Adult Client Services Branch, and dozens of other Judiciary personnel contributed to the resource fair’s success.

Pictured above: More than 300 people attended the service fair on May 22.