Guide Dogs of Hawai'i

We can't wait to see you and your pups at our paw'ina event this Saturday! We have lots of fun dog-friendly activities that you and your dog will love.

Saturday, July 6th, 2024 from 10 am to 2 pm at the Fasi Civic Grounds (Honolulu Hale).
Parking is free!

(Image Description: An invitational flyer for GDH's PAW'INA event. An illustrated photo. On a lush green golf course with beautiful mountains in view, four people walk with their dogs on a leash in the distance. A bunch of dogs in a variety of breeds all have happy expressions as they gather for a little paw'ina of their own.)

THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN! Just 2 weeks until our annual Camp Get Ahead! ☀️⛺️🌲🦯

Camp will take place from June 17th to June 22nd, 2024. This camp is designed with blindness in mind, youth participants are free to express themselves in an environment where their needs are understood! They get to experience a world where blindness is the norm. It's in this environment that we have seen our BVI youth thrive!

If you haven't already signed up your child for camp, we only have a couple more spaces available. Reach out to us at 808-941-1088 or email [email protected] so we can help get your child registered for our favorite event of the summer!

(Image Description: A group of 5 campers walk up a paved path holding their bags and canes as they arrive at camp. Behind them is a beautiful view of the mountain leading down to the ocean.)

ALOHA FRIENDS! 🌺

We've got exciting news to share! When's the last time you brought your dog to a party? We are so excited to announce our Paw'ina Event, it will be a summer bash to remember!

AND YOU'RE INVITED!

Celebrate the wonderful world of dogs, island style. It's a day of fun for the whole 'ohana! (including the fur babies 🐶🐾)

- Support your favorite local pet product vendors
- Snap a pic of your pup at our FREE photo stations
-Treat yourself with some ono food truck grindz
- Win prizes, play games, enjoy music and entertainment
- Meet some special guests and learn something new
- Most of all, celebrate the wonderful world of DOGS!

SAVE THE DATE!

Saturday, July 6th, 2024 from 10 am to 2 pm at the Fasi Civic Grounds (Honolulu Hale).
Parking is free!

(Image Description: An invitational flyer for GDH's PAW'INA event. An illustrated photo. On a lush green golf course with beautiful mountains in view, four people walk with their dogs on a leash in the distance. A bunch of dogs in a variety of breeds all have happy expressions as they gather for a little paw'ina of their own.)

We want to give a huge mahalo to the City and County of Honolulu and the Honolulu Board of Water Supply for donating 150 emergency water bags to us for our Kupuna emergency preparedness workshop.

With hurricane season just around the corner, we are so thankful that we could provide our kupuna with the knowledge and tools that will keep them ready for whatever emergency comes their way.

(Image Description: Adults sit at tables with tactile picture boards in front of them. They work on recreating tactile maps of their emergency exits.)

Happy International Guide Dog Day!

With our Paw‘ina event on the way we thought we’d remind the community why dogs are so important to us at GDH.

Our organization was established in 1955, long before Hawai‘i residents could import dogs without a lengthy mandatory quarantine.

This meant that blind Hawai‘i residents had 2 options: risk losing the quality of a U.S. trained dog due to quarantine, or travel out of the country to attain a dog from an approved, rabies-free country. We filled the gap by providing training services right here in the islands.

Fast forward to the late 90’s when the quarantine restrictions were modified to exclude guide dogs, we were able to focus on many other areas of need in the blind community.

However, there is one thing that has NEVER changed in nearly 70 years of our service - and that is our appreciation for these intelligent and dedicated animals.

By supporting Guide Dogs of Hawai‘i, you help local guide dogs attain optimal wellness, and provide their handlers with resources and a sense of community.

That being said, mahalo nui for every ounce of support you continue to show us. We could not make such a positive impact without you.

Happy International Guide Dog Day.

Me ke aloha nui,
Guide Dogs of Hawai‘i 🐾

TIS THE SEASON! We have something special for you all, as a thank you for your unwavering support over the years.

Use coupon code "friend" for a discount when doing your holiday shopping at GDH!

Maximize the meaning of your gifts this year. With every purchase, you are also gifting new opportunities to the blind and visually impaired. Everybody wins!

Click the following link in our bio for a variety of gift ideas: https://shop.guidedogsofhawaii.org/shop/?product-page=1

Image Description: A girl with black hair looking away from the camera wears a grey hoodie with the logo "Guide Dogs of Hawaii" displayed on the back.

We would like to give a huge mahalo to our friends at the Polynesian Cultural Center and an especially huge mahalo to our awesome tour guide Madison. Everyone at PCC helped give us an amazing experience during our visit. Madi helped us navigate through the various islands while sharing her knowledge and even helping us find accessible activities for our blind and visually impaired clients to partake in. We look forward to planning another visit to PCC with our clients in the future. ✨🌺🌴🥥

Image Description: GDH staff and clients gather together with their guide Madison. They all smile as they stand in front of a waterfall and lush green plants.

Thanks to you, Guide Dogs of Hawaii celebrates 68 years! 🥳

On behalf of the Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, and clients, thank you for being the heartbeat of our organization and vision!

Because of you, local teens enjoy the annual camp experience with others who share their challenges.

Because of you, seniors practice positive aging through wellness workshops and physical activities.

Because of you, adults are able to experience greater confidence with a guide dog.

All of this and more is made possible through your generosity and support over 68 years and we all appreciate you every day!

Happy 68th anniversary! Let's continue working together toward a better world. 🐾🦯🦮

Looking for a couple of extra hands for our summer youth program this month! We'll leave some vital info below. Come be part of the magic!

Mon. June 12 - Sat. June 17, 2023
1 Palehua Road., Kapolei HI 96707
(Up Makakilo overlooking the west coastline of O‘ahu)

If you are not currently on O‘ahu but can get to HNL, we will arrange ground transportation to-and-from the airport. Lodging, admissions, and meals, are all covered for the duration of the program.

If interested in joining the family this year,
Call 808-466-2307,
e-mail [email protected],
or message us here on Facebook!

Mahalo nui loa for all the love and support that we receive. We are so grateful. Your support makes a difference in the lives of Hawaii's blind and visually impaired every single day.

Today, giving Tuesday, we ask that you show your support for these impactful programs by donating. You can donate at the link listed below. Together we can continue to make a difference for our blind and visually impaired community. ❤🦮🧑‍🦯🐾

https://www.givebighawaii.com/organizations/guide-dogs-of-hawaii

1st image description: Guide dogs Novella and Buddy sit while wearing their harness. They both look off to the left towards their handlers. Behind them, is a balcony overlooking the Hawaii state capital with a ceiling that opens upwards to a view of blue skies and clouds.

2nd image description: Image Description: A mixed group of Teachers, O&M instructors, guide dog handlers, and blind and visually impaired individuals holding canes gather together to take a photo. Behind them is a beautiful view of punchbowl crater and blue skies.

There is so much to be thankful for this holiday season. We are especially grateful to be part of a tight knit community filled with people like our wonderful Teachers for the Visually Impaired and Orientation and Mobility instructors who work hard to support the blind and visually impaired community. ♥️

Recently, we visited the Hawaii State capital where a group of O&M instructors, interns and TVI’s came together to assist our clients as we learned the layout of the capital, important landmarks and how to navigate this location. It was a great learning experience for all of us that attended. We love being able to provide opportunities for the people within this community to connect.

Image Description: A mixed group of Teachers, O&M instructors, guide dog handlers, and blind and visually impaired individuals holding canes gather together to take a photo in the center of the capital on the fourth floor. Behind the group is the roof of the state capital the opens upward to a view of the blue sky.

After all of their hard work and devotion to their handlers throughout their career. Just like humans, guide dogs can retire too. Here's how a recently retired guide dog, Simon is enjoying life after retirement.

Simon loves to eat, sleep, go to the beach, spend time with loved ones, and take leisurely walks where he can take his time to smell everything.

He is enjoying retirement with his pal Tansy on the shores of Punalu'u. 🐾🦮

Image Description: Retired Guide Dog Simon, stands on a beach with a black short-haired dog (Tansy) looking towards the ocean.

Fall break is just around the corner, during school breaks GDH provides a safe space for Blind and Visually impaired youth to enjoy accessible activities amongst their peers.

Youth grades 1 and up are invited to participate in a variety of activities. Halloween Arts & crafts, music and dance, games, and more! Snacks will be provided.

For more information, or to sign your youth up contact us at 808-941-1088! 🎃🥳

Image Description: 2 boys sit across from each other at a table. They paint and decorate birdhouses they've assembled.

September is fall prevention awareness month. In light of this, we asked that members of the Honolulu Fire Department come in and share a safety presentation about Kupuna fire safety and fall prevention.

We would like to give a huge mahalo to Fire Inspector Daryl Mau & Fire Inspector Danny Andrade who took the time to come to our office and educate our blind and visually impaired seniors on what they can do to stay safe in their homes. Having this knowledge can help us all make better choices that will keep us safer. 👨‍🚒🚒🤙

Image Description: The attendees of the kupuna fire and fall prevention workshop gather together and smile for a photo with fire inspectors Daryl Mau and Danny Andrade.

2nd Image Description: Fire inspector Daryl Mau smiles as he stands between Guide Dog teams Vickie and Buddy and Joy and Novella. Fire Inspector Danny Andrade kneels down beside Guide Dog Maggie holding up a shaka.

Guide Dogs of Hawaii is excited to announce that we are hosting a college preparedness workshop for the Blind and Visually impaired!

This free workshop will be held during Fall Break. If your student is in high school or has recently graduated; and they plan to attend college or seek employment this is an amazing opportunity for your child to learn essential life skills among their peers.

If you would like more information or want to know how you can sign up, give us a call at 808-941-1088!

Image Description: A group of teenagers sits together at the table enjoying their lunch.

September is National Guide Dog Month! 🦮

Guide dogs work hard to keep their handlers safe, and like to play just as hard.

Image description: Guide Dog Maggie lays down and looks to the camera. She holds a ball in her mouth that has a design that look like she’s giving a toothy grin.

Maps are a great tool when you're trying to learn the lay of the land of someplace new. On a recent field trip that we took to Manoa marketplace, our clients were given a tactile map to help them create a mental map of the shopping center.

With a tactile map, they could feel their current location on the map and plan out where they wanted to go and where they wanted to stop along the way.

1st Image Description: A man and woman sit at a table. A map sits on the table in front of each of them, they feel the map with their hands as someone else sitting at the table describes what they are feeling.

2nd image description: A man and woman each hold their white canes in one hand. An orientation and mobility instructor faces them as she talks.

Did you know they make accessible board games and cards? Games are fun for all ages to play, they’re even better when inclusive of our blind and visually impaired friends. When you online shop using amazon smile, and choose GDH as your supporting cause. You help us purchase items like these braille/low vision bingo cards for our clients to enjoy.

Shop at amazon smile by using the following link: smile.amazon.com

Image Description: Two women sit at a table with their braille bingo cards and plastic place markers. They wait for the next number to be called.

This week on Monday, July 11th, Guide Dogs of Hawaii celebrated its 67th anniversary! 🦮🎉

We are so proud that we've been able to serve Hawaii's Blind and Visually Impaired community for so many years. We celebrated our anniversary by hosting a GDH cafe for our clients. They were invited to come in and enjoy coffee and food amongst friends.

We want to take a minute to give a huge mahalo to everyone who supports our organization and the work that we do. Whether it's donating money or your time we couldn't do it without support from the community, so from the bottom of our hearts thank you! 💛

Image Description: A group of GDH clients sits together at a table. They smile and enjoy their coffee and pastries.

For our Client Achievement Spotlight, Guide Dogs of Hawaii would like to shine a light on a very inspirational and busy, to say the least, a client of ours – Wanda Takaesu!

Wanda was born in Hong Kong, China, with an eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). This eye condition causes inevitable loss of vision over time. At the age of eight years old, she moved to the island of Oahu and has called Hawaii home since. She graduated from Roosevelt High School and went on to continue her studies at Kapiolani Community College.

Wanda has a tremendously credible work history and passion for retail; ranging from her first high school job, working part-time at the Ritz Store, to her current occupation, running her own retail business! After working part-time at the Ritz Store, she worked part-time and was later promoted as a sales manager and trainer at Liberty House for 5 years. She was then hired as a store manager for Food Pantry, working at multiple hotel gift shops at locations like Ala Moana Hotel and Kahala Resort, for 18 years. Throughout those years, she realized that she was unfortunately losing more and more of her eyesight.

Wanda took the courageous initiative to start her own retail business so that she could accommodate herself and her own needs, at her own pace. With the help of her husband, she opened “My Little Corner”, an apparel store in Downtown Bishop Square in 2006. They sold clothing, gifts, handbags, etc. Over the years, her rent eventually increased by more than double. At that point, she realized she could no longer afford to pay her rent. In order to cover expenses, Wanda would work from her store on the weekdays, and on the weekends, she sold her products at craft fairs all over the island. She would continue doing this from 2003 to 2019.

In 2019, Annette, who is a good friend and counselor of Wanda, told her about the blind vending program offered by Ho’opono and encouraged her to pursue it. The Business Enterprise Program (BEP) currently enables 42 blind vendors to work at different service state, city, and federal government locations around Hawaii. These facilities are places like Kapolei Hale and Pearl Harbor. After contacting BEP, Wanda was able to not only move to more lucrative locations, but she no longer has to pay rent!

My Little Corner is now located at Pearl Harbor. She is so happy and enjoys what she does; the familiarity of having regulars and solid clientele is also a plus! She starts her day bright and early at 3:00am preparing for the work day, and making sure she is on time to open for business at 4:00am. She closes shop at 2:00pm and spends another hour cleaning and preparing for the next day. She enjoys her work, keeping busy, and working with her husband.

In addition to her busy work schedule, Wanda was appointed by the chairman of the Hawaii State Blind Vendors Committee to fill a vacant seat in 2020. In 2021, she was elected by blind vendors to continue being a part of the committee. This committee represents and advocates for all the blind vendors across the state. One major hurdle that Wanda and this committee had to overcome was the effects COVID-19 had on blind vendors and their businesses. The committee was given a budget and had to decide how to distribute stimulus checks to all the blind vendors.

Knowing how important it is to do something enjoyable to relax and relieve stress from working, Wanda makes the time to participate in Guide Dogs of Hawaii’s “Young @ Heart Women’s Book Club”. Our Young @ Heart group meets on the first Thursday of every month, for about an hour or two. During these gatherings, members talk about books that they have read since the previous meeting; their favorite parts, something that surprised them, the author’s writing style and so much more. They also engage in fun activities like lei-making, cookie and/or gift exchanges, and getting-to-know-you games. The group enables its members to socialize and have an outlet of fun away from life’s stresses! Despite Wanda’s demanding work schedule, she always makes it a point to attend every meeting! Wanda really appreciates the Young @ Heart group… “All the ladies are so cool, we can talk about anything, and they’re so knowledgeable! It’s really nice to have something to look forward to every month!”

Wanda demonstrates that in spite of her disability, she can achieve her goals. You can see that she takes her commitments seriously. She independently does all that she can and knows when and how to ask for assistance. Guide dogs of Hawaii appreciates Wanda for the work she does, the positive attitude she shares, and the hope she leaves behind for others to follow. In closing, GDH gives Wanda the last word… (click the following link to listen to Wanda's closing words) https://guidedogsofhawaii.org/client-acheivement-spotlight-wanda-takaesu/

Image Description: Wanda and her husband stand next to each other and smile for the camera.

The countdown until Camp Get Ahead has officially begun! Just 16 days until the start of our annual youth camp. It's our favorite time of year, bring on the campfires and marshmallows! 🥳🏕🔥

Image Description: Volunteers assist our youth campers to roast their marshmallows on the campfire.

Graduation season is here. In Hawaii, it is tradition to gift the person graduating with a lei. A few of the ladies from our Young @ Heart book club were able to practice their fresh flower lei-making skills after their last meeting. The result was lovely looking and smelling floral adornments 🌺

If you would like to make your very own fresh flower lei, the instructions can be found at the following link: https://guidedogsofhawaii.org/lei-making-fresh-flower-plumeria-lei/

1st image description: 3 women smile as they sit on a couch wearing the leis they have made. A guide dog lays down in front of them.

2nd Image description: 3 women sit at a table, on the table is a large pile of fresh plumeria flowers.

To all the moms and mother's-at-heart, thank you for your care and kindness. Happy Mother's Day! You are appreciated. We hope you all enjoy your day! 💖💐

Image Description: Youth clients and their families pose for photos in front of a backdrop of colorful paper cranes. Photos were taken at our 2017 Student-Led Conference.