"ʻAʻole au i ʻike i kaʻu e hana ai me koʻu ʻohana Y. Me ka ʻike e loaʻa iaʻu kēlā kākoʻo, ʻoi aku i kēia mau manawa paʻakikī, ʻo ke ao nei iaʻu. ʻO ka noho hoʻokahi me ka ʻohana ʻole e pili ana he mea weliweli loa ia, me nā hoaaloha aʻu i hana ai a me ke kākoʻo mau mai nā limahana ma ka Y, ʻIke wau ʻaʻole loa wau e noho mehameha." — Gerda Cordova, 86
Ua hala ʻo Gerda e kona mau hoa i ka wā ʻaʻole ʻo ia i hele mai no ka ʻaina awakea ma Y's Center for Adults Living Well., no laila ua hele lākou i ka hui o Y, ka mea i hoʻopili koke iā ia. Ua kamaʻilio kā mākou luna Safe-at-Home me Gerda a ʻike ʻo ia e ʻike nei i nā hōʻailona o COVID-19.
Ua pau ʻo Gerda me ka makaʻu e hele i kāna kauka a i ʻole ke keʻena pilikia o ka haukapila i ka wā maʻi maʻi, no laila ua hoʻonohonoho a uku ʻo Y iā ia no ka loaʻa ʻana o kahi kipa mālama ola home me ZiphyCare, nāna i lawelawe i kahi ho'āʻo PCR COVID-19 i hoʻi maikaʻi.
Mai kona hōʻoia ʻana, ʻO nā limahana o Y a me kāna mau hoaaloha mai CALW e nānā pū me ia i kēlā me kēia lā ma ke kelepona. Kahi mea hou aʻe, Hāʻawi ʻia nā meaʻai wela a me nā mea pono ʻē aʻe i kona puka e hōʻoia i ka ʻai ʻana a loaʻa iā ia nā mea āpau e pono ai.
Ke kipa aku nei kā mākou kahu hānai palekana i kēlā me kēia pule iā Gerda, ke hoʻomau nei i ka lawelawe ʻana i nā hoʻokolohua COVID-19 a me ka nānā ʻana i kona olakino a maikaʻi.
Ma hope o kekahi mau pule, Ke hoʻoponopono nei ʻo Gerda a loaʻa hou kona ikaika. ʻAʻole hiki iā ia ke kali a lawa ʻo ia e hoʻi i ka Y e hauʻoli i ka ʻaina awakea a me nā hana me kāna mau hoaaloha.
Hiki iā Y ke hāʻawi i nā lawelawe koʻikoʻi i nā poʻe ʻelemakule kūloko, e like me Gerda, ma o ka lokomaikaʻi o kā mākou mau mea hāʻawi kālā.ʻO kāu hāʻawi hiki ke kōkua i ka hoʻololi nui ʻana i ko mākou mau hoalauna pilikia.
Ua neʻe ʻo Gerda i Washington Heights ma 1965 a he lālā ikaika ʻo ia no CALW mai kona hoʻomaha ʻana 15 makahiki aku nei. E like me nā poʻe ʻelemakule ma ko mākou wahi, noho hoʻokahi ʻo ia, ʻaʻohe ʻohana kokoke, a uhi haiki i kona mau lilo o ka mahina.
ʻOi aku kā mākou kākoʻo ma mua o ka pane ʻana i nā pilikia. No kekahi mau makahiki, Ua loaʻa iā Gerda Palekana-ma-Home kipa hale mālama hale ʻelua pule. Ma mua i ka wā maʻi maʻi, Ua komo ʻo ia i kā mākou hui noʻonoʻo pule ma ke kelepona. Ua hoʻi ʻo ia e hui kino me ka hui i ka wā i ʻākoakoa hou ai ka papahana ma ka pūnaewele. Kahi mea hou aʻe, Ua hauʻoli ʻo ia i ke komo ʻana i ka papahana Y's pen pal ma waena o nā mākua a me nā keiki, a ua pili ʻo ia i kēlā me kēia pule me kahi intern hana kaiaulu no ke kākoʻo.
Ua kūpaʻa ʻo Y i ka hoʻomaikaʻi ʻana i ke ola o nā poʻe o nā makahiki a me nā ʻano āpau i ko mākou kaiāulu. Me 29% o nā poʻe ʻelemakule ma Washington Heights a me Inwood e noho ana ma lalo o ka laina ʻilihune, kou haawina hiki ke kōkua i ka Y e hoʻomau i ke ola no ko mākou mau hoalauna pilikia.
Mahalo i kā mākou hāʻawi manawaleʻa a me nā mea hoʻopukapuka, ʻAʻole kū wale ʻo Gerda i kāna mau pilikia. Hiki i kāu kākoʻo ke hōʻoia i laila ka Y no Gerda a me nā poʻe ʻelemakule ʻē aʻe e kū nei i kahi kaʻawale, palekana ʻai, COVID-19, a me nā pilikia ʻē aʻe me kahi ʻē aʻe e huli ai.
