Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 7, 1 July 2022 — GAYLA ANN MAHEALANI HALINIAK [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GAYLA ANN MAHEALANI HALINIAK

V Meet the 'OHAna ^ OHA STAFF PROFILES

Beneficiary Service Agent Hui H uliāmahi (Beneficiary Services) 9 years at OHA FROM: Kalama'ula (ahupua'a), Kona (moku), Moloka'i (mokupuni) EDUCATION: • Roosevelt High School • Maui Community College - Moloka'i

What is your kuleana at OHA? My kuleana is to serve our lāhui spiritually and culturally, and to uplift our Native Hawaiian people inany way possible,from directing them to OHA's services to building partnerships with other agencies and outside resources. The struggle is realfor our people, and we have to be their voice. When someone has walked two milesfrom town to applyfor emergency financial help with no slippers on theirfeet, tnyjob is to firstgive them apair of slippers...and then help them get the services they need. Sometimes, people eome in with homestead issues, needing kūpuna services, orjust wanting to talk story about their struggles and I connect them to the correct resources. I mean business when it comes to ourpeople. I am humbled and blessed that God'splan was for me to be here. I am honored to serve my community. Why did you choose to work for OHA? Before Ijoined OHA,Iworked atAluLikefor 15 years.At AluLike my service to ourlāhui was limited and I alwaysfelt 1 belonged to something bigger. When Alu Like reduced my hours, an opening heeame available at the Moloka'i OHA office. I took a ehanee and I am thankful that Kūhiō Lewis hired me. ltfelt like coming home, 1 am now able to help all Native Hawaiians seeking kōkua without limitation. Lhis is mypassion. What is the best thing about working at OHA? Lhe best thing about workingfor OHA are my co-workers. We have alohafor one another, and we always have eaeh other's backs. We have gone through trials together and celebrated victories together; that's why we work well as a team. What is something interesting for people to know about you? I live on homestead land in Kalama'ula, Moloka'i. Kalama'ula was the first Hawaiian homestead and my great-grandfather was awarded "Lot 6" - one ofthe first Hawaiians awarded land in the 1920s through a pilot project with DHHL. Fastforward to 1987: when we were awarded homestead land in 1987, in the newer, ma uka part of Kalama'ula, I was also blessed to receive "Lot 6!" 1 also have 20 grandchildren, a dog name Coco, and I am about to become a great-grandmother. Who has been your role model? My tūtū, Hannah LLa'apuni Pali-Pahupu Machado. She taught me unconditional love, thatfamily is your everything and to have compassion in spiritual work. My mother, Barbara ]. Haliniak, taught me community service and to givefrom the heart. What is your best OHA memory? My best tnemory was when all OHA staffand theirfamilies were invited to spend the day together at Secret Beach atKualoa. lt was a time of rejuvenation after months ofhard work. lt was awesome. I even tried to get ChairMachado to paddleboard thatday, butto no avail-she keptfallingoff-thatwas a "kodak moment!"M