Volunteers from the Koolauloa Health Center, based in the Hauula Kai Center, are focusing on helping addicts and making inroads into the fight against drugs in the area, including three Native Hawaiians with special skills:

• Shon Kaanaana, who was born and raised in Hauula, has special insights into the challenges addicts must fight and overcome: He is a former addict and drug dealer who turned his life around in prison. First on his own for the past two years — "and hopefully many more" — he has been working as a substance abuse outreach counselor for the past six months

• Maka'io Hee, also born and raised in Hauula, is the Director for Native Hawaiian Healing Services at the Health Center.

• His wife, Kamaile'ula Halualani-Hee, is a volunteer Native Hawaiian health and welfare practitioner at the Health Center.

(Left-right): Hee, Halualani-Hee, and Kaanaana

Kaanaana explained the Koolauloa Health Center is trying to start up a substance abuse program in the "moku" [district]. "The only thing we have is the Bobby Benson [Center in Kahuku], and that's for kids," he said, "but for adults, we ain't got nothing. We're trying to kick off a treatment program, and we're trying to get grants. We also get help from the Salvation Army and the Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center."

"It would be nice if the community would help us, too, because it's a community problem," he added, pointing out that Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) also hold local meetings local meetings:

• AA meets at the Church of the Living God "pu'uhonua" on Hauula Homestead Road, at 7 p.m.

• NA meets at the "pu'uhonua" on Wednesdays, 7 p.m.; and Friday nights, 7:30 p.m. at North Windward Baptist Church on Halai St. in Hauula

"These are my strongest programs. I run the meetings," he said, adding there are two other meetings:

• AA on Sunday mornings at Hauula Beach Park pavilion,

• …and Monday night at Kahuku United Methodist Church, 7:30 p.m.

When it comes to addiction, Kaanaana knows what he's talking about. "Addiction here was always big and it's an ongoing problem. Just because we live in the country, that doesn't mean we don't have any drugs. We've got a lot of drugs out here. We've got a lot of drug addicts, and the kids are getting younger and younger."

For example, Kaanaana, who started using as a child, said he dealt drugs throughout Koolauloa for 15 years, but it wasn't until he got bladder cancer while in prison that he decided to change. "They gave me two years to live, and that was six years ago," he said. "All that praying, faith and the complete surrender, I figured out I was saved for one reason: To spread the NA message and let our brothers and sisters out here who are suffering know the consequences of doing drugs."

"I'm here to help them," Kaanaana continued. "Being a drug addict myself, I know that many of addicts will not talk to the doctors, but they will talk to somebody like me, because I've been through it and I've lived the life. That's even more of a motivation for me to come out and help these guys."

Since affiliating with the Health Center Kaanaana said he's been able to get some of his clients on insurance and treatment programs, "but I cannot do this alone. I need help. Most of the guys are court order [to attend], but they end up going back to prison, because they don't like to travel to Kane'ohe or town, and most of them are booked up."

Halualani-Hee said the problem is serious, "especially with crystal meth, at least 90% of them are Native Hawaiians, so as a Native Hawaiian practitioner it was in me to get involved. Also, on a personal level, I have a lot of family members who are addicted."

"On a professional level, a lot of substance abuse clients come through the door at the Koolauloa Health Center, but we have limited resources. We would like to expand so people can get help right here in our community, versus going outside."

She said her husband, Maka'io Hee, recently started the resource group, Ola Kuo'o, "which means living life clean and sober on the pathway to recover and requires mental, physical and spiritual healing." She also explained that in addition to the Health Center and Kaanaana, "we're collaborating with the Salvation Army, Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center, the National Methamphetamine Training Center, the Church of the Living God, Hope Chapel Koolauloa, and we're hoping to get more people and resources involved. We meet every Monday at the Health Center in Hauula at 11 a.m."

Hee said, "With Native healing trying to help with substance abuse, right now we're at a critical part because we know exactly where to apply the help but we need help with the resources from the Western side. We're really trying to "pili" or collaborate."

"Brother Shon is a living testimony," he continued. "We grew up together and we love the "moku". Now how do we help our people in such crisis? We're trying to bring back values that were lost."

Halualani-Hee stressed that the programs are not just for Native Hawaiians. "Anyone can come. In fact, whole families come."

"I cannot give up on these guys," Kaanaana added. "Plenty of families throw them out in the streets and disown them, but the family bond is the key to success in sobriety."

"We cannot deny we have a drug problem in all of our neighborhoods," he said, noting this included the strongly Latter-day Saint community of La'ie.

For more information, call Kaanaana at 699-1334; or Hee at 792-3845, email mhee@koolauloachc.org.