VOLUNTEER POSITIONS 

The following is from an e-mail from President Keku Akana, distributed on September 14, 2016:

Aloha all ACCW Volunteers and extended family:

As we wind down 2016 and my four year commitment to help launch our Outreach Ministry and serve as President with ACCW comes to an end  (I must relinquish myself as President no later than February of 2017, at the annual meeting), I want to make sure you know who to contact and direct questions to regarding our all-volunteer team and ministry.  It is our desire to move forward with new leadership, new ideas, fresh starts, and allow others to gain maximum participation in their faith journeys through ACCW  (and wean off and end any "keku-centric" habits).

It has been our desire to establish a lasting mission to the poor in our own backyard.  God has been good. God has delivered. Those of  you who know me well understand that I am a big believer in changing leadership and forcing change (no matter the risk or outcome).  For those of us who are Christians, we understand that if any grueling mission such as street outreach is to seed and succeed, it must be based on the principles that retired Episcopal Bishop Richard Chang spoke about in a 2015 sermon at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Wailuku: 

Over the years we all have witnessed outreach ministries addressing the injustices and tragedies of our society and world. After beginning with great enthusiasm many of these ministries often begin to become less energetic and eventually cease. Bishop Edmond Browning attributed this decline and death in ministry to a loss of faith or personal spirituality rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That which began as an expression of faith in Jesus Christ loss it Christ-centeredness as the people became more focused on their success, statistics, logistics to maintain ministry. These words from today’s Gospel, “Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” (Mark 9:50), can be our reminder that Jesus is the foundation of our faith. The Church and its members will not fulfill its mission and ministry as faithful followers of Jesus Christ if Jesus is not the center of the faith. You and I are called to be faithful, not successful. -- Bishop Chang 2015

We all know, we can never rely on any one person, one priest, one leader, one donor.  We must seek to work together in collective community, energizing ourselves through the greatest "green, renewable energy resource" of all-time, a source that is always available and is always there--that is, GOD,  manifested in the sacrificial incarnational love of Jesus Christ.  For those of us who may carry other faith journeys (our Buddhist friends and others) you understand the enlightenment that comes from service to and for the poor, and the great need to continuously purge ourselves of our own greed, selfishness and possessions.  In the teachings of Buddha, it is said, "... on the long journey of human life, faith is the best of companion; it is the best refreshment on the journey and it is the greatest possession." (Teachings of Buddha, page 179)  

Of course I will be involved as a run leader and continue with the Van Coordinator responsibilities until someone steps forward (as no one has volunteered as of this writing), and act in the capacity of an advisor for the remainder of 2017, to our ACCW BOD and our Vice Presidents and eventual President elect.  However, I will be spending more time on the Big Island with my growing family,  and I must give more time to our expanding family business and proceed into other spiritual "directions".

I cannot thank enough VP Deb Lynch, VP Paula Baldwin, Secretary Mary Lou Mellinger and Jeanne & George Abe and the supply team ( Susie Davis, Marilynn Hirashima, Toni Paul, Cindy Akana, Marcia Spieker ), and the many others who have helped over the years. They have spent countless volunteer hours helping make my years of service much, much easier, and and of course, our dedicated run leaders who take the risk of showing leadership and our outreach riders, who are willing to have direct engagement with our poor, week in and week out.

I also must thank our Maui Episcopal Churches "for stepping out in faith and hustling" and of course our Hawai'i Episcopal Diocese that includes Bishop Fitzpatrick who encouraged risk taking mission and supported it fully  (trying to bring radical mission back to being  "instinctive normal mission"), and his Diocesan staff: Irina, Peter and Sybil!

There are many other's of course: Rev. Linda & John Decker, Peter Lee, Jeanne Fiddes, ALL of our Priests, most especially those who have left our shores: Fr. Marvin Foltz , Fr. Austin Murray, our 'west side rider Fr. Bill Albinger and Dcn. Cris South --- Mahalo to all of you, and please, please forgive me if I did not mention you-- this email would go on for days.

This model of mission-service that we have created on Maui has some very crucial components:  that being it is a truly all-volunteer model which places its mission in the "spiritual-gratitude for life" service, spreading responsibilities throughout a wide and broad spectrum of committed volunteers from many walks, refusing any notion of salary by making loving service our source of "income" which then creates a 100% distribution model of resources to our poor, while not accepting or relying on the empty well of government money and organizational red tape. 

We still seek an Administrative Vice President (possible President elect) to volunteer for a TWO-YEAR TERM, who can handle the rest of the duties that I have been tasked with (various admin duties, snapshots, annual report, annual convention reports, e-mail blasts, DCCA annual filings, speaking engagements, etc.)

With Deb,  Paula and Mary Lou and the entire volunteer team we have in place, it is much, much  easier, but they too have a timeline on their commitments. Will one of you step in? Can you offer yourselves up to an ACCW BOD commitment? Can one of you take on just ONE of our responsibilities? Will one of  you step out? Can one of you take your ideas and implement them in community? Can we move ACCW forward,  ensuring its spiritual roots are kept primary and are never lost, rooting our baptismal covenant deeper and deeper into tangible service and not just creed? Who will go for Yashua? 

Meanwhile, if you have any questions, listed below are the current ACCW leaders who may be able to help you:

Deb Lynch Vice President of Operations, ACCW BOD:
Anything to do with actual street operations, the Van, supply team or purchasing, run leaders and outreach riders, scheduling switches or guest riders, face-book monitor/support

Paula Baldwin Vice President, Support Services, ACCW BOD:
Anything to do with in-reach functions, church functions, public relations, new volunteers, background checks and/or mandatory training monitor, clergy support

Mary Lou Mellinger, Secretary ACCW BOD:
Anything to do with ACCW Board meetings & minutes, in-reach postings, donation thank-you's. Receives calls, keeps an electronic file of all ACCW transmittal's (duplicates and handles documents/forms); may do some online shopping and ordering; works closely with the President/VP Admin and the two VPs

Jeanne Abe Supply Room Leader:
Anything to do with the supply team, purchasing, in kind/donations, etc.; works closely with the VP of Operations

Ruth Langstraat, Master Scheduler:
Anything to do with the Master Schedule; creates and distributes the ACCW Master schedule 3 time a year; works closely with the VPs.

Kit Hart, ACCW BOD and Scheduling Reminders and Stats:
Anything to do with scheduling reminders, guest rider scheduling; also tallies the monthly stats

Erin Lowenthal
ACCW BOD member and anything to do with grants or grant requests

Leah Sarme, Treasurer
Anything to do with the our financials, balances, budgets, receipts, deposits; helps produce the annual ACCW report 

Lea Voss, Bookkeeper
Cuts our ACCW reimbursement checks, keeps the books, balances and records all ACCW related financial transactions. Helps produce the ACCW Annual report

Rev. Amy Crowe, Maui Clergy Rep, ACCW BOD
BOD member who represents our Episcopal Clergy and our clergy friends; liasion between our Clergy and the greater ACCW family. 

K. Peter Lee, ACCW BOD and Bishop's Representative
Represents the Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Hawaii at each ACCW BOD meeting; acts as a liaison between the Bishop, the Hawai'i Episcopal Diocese and ACCW.

Our other ACCW BOD members include Rev. Linda Decker, Dr, John Decker and Jeanne Fiddes (anything to do with the medical packets).  All of them can help guide you through any questions you may have regarding ACCW.  They have been with us from the "giddy-up & go"

Many Thanks,
Keku
ACCW VAN COORDINATOR
This is a all-volunteer position which will help ensure that our ACCW Van is mission ready at all times.

Duties and Responsibilities:
Is responsible for any matter relating to the Van to include, but is not be limited to: ( the good old "other related duties clause!")
  • Ensure the Van is kept in a safe and operational condition.
  • Ensure the Annual Registration, safety check and Auto Insurance's are paid and completed on a timely basis.
  • Ensure that all legal paperwork is properly maintained and updated in the Van.
  • Ensure that the Van is serviced on a timely basis and as recommended by the Nissan Maintenance Manual (regular maintenance schedule).
  • Full professional cleaning and detailing of the exterior and interior of the Van twice yearly (January/July)
  • Ensure that the Van is taken into the shop if any mechanical, operational or any other issues arises.
  • Coordinates any service related need for the van
  • Coordinates any auto body repair or upkeep
  • Periodically checks the interior and exterior of the van for any concerns, issues or needed action
  • Trains and reviews the operation of the Van (instrument panel, doors, locks, mirrors, blinkers, operations, oil check, fluid checks, first aid and manual locations etc) with a newly designated Run Leader