Rebekah’s Studio

When the pool is filled and the fountain spurts high, Thomas Square is even more of an oasis in mid-Honolulu.

Mothers Day 2019. I kept my commitment to serve the homeless and needy in Honolulu today. The venue was Thomas Square (photos below).

My friend’s hobby is to cook and serve a delicious buffet meal to the homeless on a fairly regular basis for free. Today she added a free store. The recipe ingredients and pre-owned store inventory are largely donated. She has a handful of helpers who pack, drive, unload, unpack, set up tents and tables, serve, and break down from about 9 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon. It’s rough work. The venue might change from time to time, but her regulars find her by word-of mouth. 

In the morning Thomas Square is neat and tidy; public restrooms are clean, thanks to a dedicated City & County crew. However, the park that is one square city block and planted with mature banyan trees around a circular fountain gets a little trashed during the day, I noticed, and it looks like it’s a growing hangout for folks looking for a place to sleep at night. Before, it was refreshing to see the pool with water in it and the fountain operating. Today it was dry.

“Customers” waited patiently for the food and store to be set up and then were grateful, mostly, to fill their bowls and plates. Some looked disheveled. Some were very tired. Hot soup, several kinds of salads, a meat-and-rice dish, Greek dolmas, macaroni and cheese (Gouda with bacon!), yogurt, corn dogs, chips, cold tea and water—are you hungry yet?

For me, it was a rough day in terms of interacting with this particular public. It is not in my repertoire. I returned home to read that the homeless people in Chinatown made the front page of the daily newspaper again.

It’s too bad. I think I can do this only about once a year. God’s blessings to my friend and her regular team.

Thomas Square’s refreshing-looking lawn

Mature banyan trees

Shady spot

Old sign

Fascinating aerial roots

Thomas Square, with dry pool and fountain in the foreground