The Puna ʻŌpio Hub is a new Hawaiʻi Island youth resource center for those ages 14 to 25 who want a place where they can gain workforce experience and develop life skills, free of charge.
The hub is run by the Neighborhood Place of Puna, a nonprofit working to connect Hawaiʻi Island residents to resources and support. Organizers said the center provides free workshops and resources to help people transition into adulthood and a life of independence, as this period can be daunting and often confusing for many.
Billy-Jo Pike, the executive director of Neighborhood Place of Puna, said that beyond the workforce experience and development, she wants the hub to be a place of community where youth can come to feel safe and supported.
“We want to make sure they have a support system and know that the community cares and they can fall back on them, and that we’ll help them navigate those challenges as they enter adulthood,” Pike said. “Having a safe adult and a safe space that’s consistently here for them allows them to open up and think about all the different possibilities of whatever kind of decision they want to make, and we support them regardless.”
Pike added that through her organization's work, she noticed many families in the lower Puna area had to drive to Hilo for basic necessities and services, thus prompting Pike and her team to invest in a central hub for Puna residents.
Through an 18-month grant from the Kīlauea Recovery Grant Program, the Puna ʻŌpio Hub has been able to supply work clothes, computer access and workshops for anyone interested. It has also hired two staff members so far, with a goal of hiring two more to provide consistent guidance and mentorship.
The hub offers support for college and career pathways, including applications and FAFSA support, digital and financial literacy guidance, cultural and ʻāina-based experiences, and life skill development, which includes confidence building, communication exercises and healthy living habits.
“One of the most important things that we can do is pour into the next generation — they have so many skills and resilient qualities about them that if we allow them a platform and we give them a voice, we don't know what kind of amazing things that they're going to bring to our community,” Pike said. “Not only are they the future, but they're the now. They have opinions, they have ideas, and they have so much at their fingertips, so we just have to allow them that space to express themselves and give them an opportunity to try.”
The hub is located at the Connection Point Church of the Nazarene in Keaʻau, and it is open Monday from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
