‘Q & A Hawai‘i’: Reaching out in a pandemic

Posted on Sep 29, 2020 in Capitol Connection, Featured

Finding lifelines for Hawai‘i’s families in this pandemic — whether it’s access to food and other resources, free online “teachables,” or information from public health experts — is part of First Lady Dawn Amano-Ige’s mission. Each week on her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FirstLadyofHawaii/, you can find practical advice and positive connections to help with some of COVID-19’s daily challenges.

In her “Q&A Hawai‘i,” Mrs. Ige has talked with state leaders such as Cathy Betts, director of the Department of Human Services, to encourage families in need to visit https://humanservices.hawaii.gov/ for information on food benefits, medical care and other aid. Another recent guest was Kaua‘i district health officer Dr. Janet Berreman, who explained the basics of contact tracing and “family bubbles.”

Dr. Janet Berreman, Kaua‘i district health officer, talked with Mrs. Ige about the basics of contact tracing and “family bubbles.”

Just in time for Halloween: The First Lady will be reading “Creepy Carrots” in October.

To help families with distance learning, Mrs. Ige talked with state librarian Stacey Aldrich about the launch of “Scholastic Teachables,” a free online resource to support keiki learning at home. Anyone with a Hawai‘i State Public Library System card can access the printable materials for ages pre-K to grade 8 at librarieshawaii.org. Another guest was Olympic figure skating champion and book author Kristi Yamaguchi, whose “Always Reading” program provides e-readers and hardcover books to children.

Finally, no Halloween would be complete without a book like “Creepy Carrots,” which Mrs. Ige reads on Ōlelo for October. The story follows Jasper Rabbit, a rascal who began snitching carrots from a nearby field until he imagines the vegetables stalking him. “In spite of the pandemic, I’m hoping Halloween will still provide a way to spark children’s imaginations,” she said.