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On the second Friday of each month, VA Pacific Islands Health Care System (VAPIHCS) holds an “Ohana Open Market’ event at the Daniel K. Akaka Va Clinic in Kapolei. The open markets are an

opportunity for Veterans and active-duty service members to pick up cost-free groceries. This month, the event also included an Information Fair and a Homeless Veteran Stand Down where the

most vulnerable Veterans served by VAPIHCS were able to come and browse job opportunities, get health checks, be given haircuts, and much more.  “Hawai‘i’s Veterans have given everything to

protect us and today we’re here to make sure they know we haven’t forgotten them,” said Governor Josh Green, MD. “This stand down is about dignity, connection and delivering the care and

services our homeless Veterans have earned. No one who served our country should be left behind — not on our watch.” The event was held at the new Daniel K. Akaka VA Clinic which just 

celebrated its first anniversary on April 8, 2025. The new state-of-the-art clinic was built by Hunt Companies Hawaii and the Hunt team came out to volunteer at the event, along with many

other community groups, charities, Veterans, and active-duty service members. The clinic now includes more services, with a new Urgent Care, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and other

diagnostic equipment, a dental clinic, an audiology clinic, a vision clinic, and much more. It’s become a one-stop shop for Veterans on the west side of Oahu.  "My office -the Center

for Development and Civic Engagement- used to complain about not having enough room at the Spark Matsunaga Ambulatory Care Center to do activities and events,” said CDCE Chief Schoen Safotu.

  “Now that we have the Akaka Clinic and all the room, we are going to maximize its potential and capacity to serve our Veterans. We are excited to be able to offer the Ohana Food

Distribution, the Information Fair, and the Homeless Veteran Stand Down this month.” Veterans have been grateful for the new clinic and the events and services held there. At this month’s

event, some Veterans came for food at the Ohana Open Market or visited the Information Fair. Other Veterans came for the job opportunities, information on housing, vaccines, and other

services at the Homeless Veteran Stand Down. Most Veterans who came talked openly about having fallen on hard times and needing a hand to get back up. They were grateful that VAPIHCS

organized an event to help them access VA services and community providers.  “The volunteers are amazing, and this is a great event,” said Army Veteran Raymond Edge. “I really appreciate the

folks who put this together, and the folks who are out here working to get us the things that we need.”  Some of the service providers featured in the Homeless Veteran Stand down area

included the Disabled Veterans Outreach Program (DVOP), Hawaii Employment, Lanakila Pacific, Brightstar Care, Hawaii Catholic Charities, the American Job Center, Waikiki Outreach Employment,

and Black Fabric Security. Many VA programs also set up tables, including Women’s Health, Caregiver Support, Pharmacy, Whole Health, Beneficiary Travel, Optometry, and Suicide Prevention. A

separate outdoor area also included a check-in space, Chaplain Services, haircuts, and more. “We are here today for you,” said Assistant Director James Ingebredtsen. “All of us in the

building -all of us in VAPIHCS- we exist to serve you. “Don’t feel like you’re getting too much or we’re paying too much attention to you. We all have jobs so that we can help you, and this

event today is the purest form of what we are; a mechanism to deliver services to Veterans that improve their lives and their health.”  Each year VA celebrates Nurses’ Week from May 6-12,

and many VAPIHCS nurses -and doctors- participated in the event. Veterans were able to learn about new services that they might not have heard of like Health Coaching through the Whole

Health Program. They were also able to get vaccines and check on their clinical care reminders. This allowed Veterans to get many different things done in one visit, rather than having to

schedule separate visits for each need they had.  “Today -this is ohana- this is what it’s all about,” said Associate Director of Patient Care Services Katherine Pope. “Talking to Veterans,

listening to their needs, helping them; this is what the VA is all about. I’m so proud to work here, and it really does feel like we are an ohana.”  Chaplain Services had a booth manned by

Dr. Richie Charles, Chief of Chaplain Services. He emphasized the importance of treating the whole Veteran; with spirituality being an important component. Veterans do not need to be of a

particular faith to access Chaplain Services. Any Veteran can call 808-433-0271 to speak with a Chaplain. Additionally, they can email [email protected]. Chaplains can provide spiritual

advice, assist in conflict resolution, provide grief care, and much more. Caring for the whole Veteran is a theme in VA care because Veterans are more than symptoms, diagnoses, and

medication. They are people who need support to achieve overall wellness.  “Community is one of our Whole Health Circles of Health,” said Dr. Mary Harlinger, from the Whole Health Program.

“People feeling connection to a community improves their overall wellbeing, and this event is VAPIHCS integrating into that community and showing Veterans that we are here for them. We are

excited to showcase the comprehensive wellness options that Whole Health has to offer.” The State of Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and other employers were at the Akaka

VA Clinic for the event, and many mentioned that there will be an upcoming job fair at Ke’ehi Lagoon from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 20, 2025. Some of the employers who will participate in the

job fair prioritize hiring Veterans, so Veterans looking for work are encouraged to attend. Some programs like Ho‘omānea ‘Ōiwi Employment and Training even prioritize helping Native

Hawaiians gain employment.  “We are here today to provide resources for Veterans, said Workforce Engagement and Recruitment Specialist at the City and County of Honolulu American Jobs

Center. “Many Veterans don’t know all of what is available to them, and this kind of outreach can help them find opportunities that they didn’t even know existed.”  Disabled Veterans of

America (DAV) was available to talk to Veterans about the services they offer such as helping with claims, seminars to educate Veterans about VA services, and even help scheduling

appointments. Finesse and Associates LLC discussed life insurance, mortgages, investments and retirement options, and debt consolidation. Block by Block was there to recruit employees to

help clean up Waikiki. Catholic Charities was also available to discuss ways to help specific Veterans with specific issues, such as financial assistance when possible and emotional and

spiritual support.  VAPIHCS is grateful for the support of the community, and thankful for the support of the Hawaii Food Bank and the Armed Services Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA)

who make the Ohana Open Market possible. The next Ohana Open Market event will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on June 13, 2025. Active-duty service members and Veterans will be served

first, and civilian community members will be served next.