Institute for Human Services

There's many services available at IHS for those in need. My review is for the wonderful help today to unload all the bags of rice and box of canned goods from my car.Our local chapter of Blacks In Government had our annual collection of donations of rice and canned goods from our membership (and friends). Even though I came at a busy time of day, IHS had numerous volunteers to come out and help retrieve the donations.Thanks guys, BIG mahalo for helping me so quickly in the small parking lot before the rain poured down. Happy Holidays!

It's no secret that Oahu has a huge homeless crisis, which is why we chose to volunteer some of our time at the IHS to help serve lunch and sort donations. Joshua, the Volunteer Coordinator was very informative when I first contacted him for volunteer information and he insisted on having us attend an orientation and tour of the facility before our volunteer shift. I'm glad we did because he helped to debunk a few myths about the homeless and also educated us on their services and a lot of the programs they have available for our community.This particular shelter (for women and families) is located on the edge of Kalihi near Costco and near the corner of the Dillingham and King Street area before you hit the China Town area. (The men's shelter is within walking distance in the Iwilei area). This area is run-down and the IHS guests can be found lining the sidewalks of this area during the day. The wonderful staff at the IHS provides a great deal of services to our community. Some include health services, case management, housing, employment help and food. So basically, they work with the homeless (the willing ones) with not just shelter but a step-by-step program of getting them back on their own feet. I mentioned "the willing ones" because we learned that many who are living on the street are very defensive and have a hard time trusting the system, let alone anyone because of their experiences on the street with having to guard their belongings or even themselves. Many are mentally ill also because of their experiences which can range from drug abuse to physical abuse. Joshua explained that their team will have to come into contact with some of their guests multiple times before they accept their help and shelter. One of the things that I was really impressed with and fell in love with when I toured the shelter was their rooftop garden that has a great view of the Kalihi mountain and residential area. Being on their rooftop surrounded by the beautiful plants was like being in a completely different world. It was quiet and serene, unlike the neighboring King St. and Dillingham Blvd. They don't have a rooftop garden just for looks either! They have an awesome hydroponics program where they teach their guests how to grow and care for plants to benefit their future and actually have them cook with the food that they grow in the garden.When we served lunch, we served the lunch in a typical cafeteria-like fashion on a serving line and were of course required to wear hair nets and gloves. It was bittersweet to see so many kids there in the shelter. It was depressing but I was also relieved to see them there rather than on the streets. The great thing about the shelter's meal service is that the meals they serve for kids are FDA approved and have the proper amount of servings in each meal for every food group.We also spent a few hours sorting donations in their store room. You could spend hours and hours in there and barely put a dent in the place because donations are constantly coming in, which is definitely a good problem to have. A couple of years ago, I made the decision to stop donating my gently used items to other business like Savers because they just turn around, mark up the price and sell them to anyone and everyone. Nothing wrong with that but my personal preference is to donate where things are much needed. When you give this holiday season, please consider giving to the Institute for Human Services. I'm not sure what it's going to take to end our homeless problem in beautiful Hawaii Nei but the IHS is definitely doing their share in helping to get everyone off the streets and working with them to set them up for a better future where they can make their own living and live on their own to take care of themselves and their families.

This place is magical. What they're doing for the local community fills my heart. Joshua Jensen- volunteer coordinator extraordinaire, is hands down awesome.A large group of us came to visit and volunteer during our stay in Oahu. It was such a humbling experience from start to finish. The coolest thing with this place is their rooftop garden. I found it to not only be cathartic for myself but for the guests who stay at IHS find the garden to be therapeutic. All the little kids giving us high fives brought tears to my eyes when leaving. I wanted to squeeze them all.If you ever get the chance to stop by IHS, please do so. I strongly encourage all of you to give back to the local community here in Honolulu.

My first time at IHS Hawaii and it won't be my last. I donated 3 - 32 gal size bags of clothing for the homeless. Staff at the delivery dock came out to my car before I even had the ignition off. They were all properly masked and gloved, as was I, and helped carry the items. Proper receipt give to me. Since I am at home due to COVID19, I am decluttering and purging with dedication. I'll return with more items, such as towels, blankets, and other bedding. IHS is doing great public service to help the community who has no place to social-distance. With few not for profits open (Goodwill, Salvation Army) for non cash donations, prioritize IHS as it's 100% local.

Donated my car to these guys. I'm glad they chose not to sell it but to use it for their business. Gordon was nice and came all the way to my house in ewa to pick it up.

IHS is such a blessing. Hickam Catholic Community cooks and serves meal every month. And Ms. April treats us like Ohana. Mahalo for this humbling experience. IHS helps our local community so much. Kudos to the IHS mgt, staff, and volunteers.

This is a great place to volunteer. Just email Renee Rendall: [email protected] to get on the volunteer calendar. We show up at the IHS women's shelter (street parking right there) at 4:55pm and serve dinner upstairs in the cafeteria at 5p.m. We're usually done before 6pm. Everything is provided. You simply check in downstairs, head up to the caf, meet the staff, put on your gloves and hair net and start serving the food. It's wonderful to be there and kokua as a family. Or, just bring a buddy!

I feel it's important to share my deeply disappointing experience at the IHS homeless shelter, as it raises several serious concerns.First and foremost, the presence of bedbugs made my stay uncomfortable and concerning. For anyone seeking shelter, a clean and safe environment should be a priority, and this issue needs immediate attention.I was also surprised to find that the shelter charges for a bed. For individuals and families in crisis, this financial burden feels counterintuitive and only adds to the stress of an already challenging situation.The behavior of some employees was particularly disheartening. I encountered instances of unkindness and a lack of empathy, which created an unwelcoming atmosphere. It was evident that favoritism existed among staff, leading to unequal treatment of residents, which only exacerbated feelings of isolation.A major issue was the handling of personal belongings. Employees would "confiscate" clothing and other items, and if you couldn't retrieve them due to scheduling conflicts, they would throw them away. Additionally, I witnessed employees searching through confiscated belongings, keeping what they wanted and discarding the rest. Accessing the back area, where donated items are kept, was also difficult, making it a struggle to get essential items for daily living.Overall, it's hard to make progress when you're treated like dirt. My experience at the IHS homeless shelter was incredibly disappointing, and I hope that these issues can be addressed to create a more supportive and respectful environment for all residents.

It was extremely easy to get in touch with someone by phone to answer my questions about donations. It was also very simple to drop off the donations at their shelter. I called when I got there and someone quickly met us at their receiving area. All the donations are given to their residents which is awesome!

Funny how Yelp refuses to put negative reviews into this business's rating. This organization is a SCAM that preys off the homeless! It doesn't matter who covers for them, the proof is in the fact that the homeless crisis is only getting worse and do-nothing "nonprofits" like IHS aren't solving the problem at all. But they sure can keep writing good grant applications every year! Listen to those of us who have been homeless, don't let IHS exploit you for their own benefit!