courtesy DR. JILL OMORI / HOME PROJECT Students and faculty from the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine gathered Tuesday to help the homeless, an annual event that has been happening for 15 years.
1/3 COURTESY OF DR. JILL OMORI / HOME PROJECT Students and faculty from the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine gathered Tuesday to help the homeless, an annual event that has been happening for 15 years.
courtesy DR. JILL OMORI / HOME PROJECT First-year medical students Reid Ikeda, left, and Lauryn Liao offered a bento to a man in downtown Honolulu.
2/3 COURTESY OF DR. JILL OMORI / HOME PROJECT First-year medical students Reid Ikeda, left, and Lauryn Liao offered a bento to a man in downtown Honolulu.
courtesy DR. JILL OMORI / HOME PROJECT JABSOM students carried goods to distribute.
3/3 COURTESY OF DR. JILL OMORI / HOME PROJECT JABSOM students carried goods to distribute.
courtesy DR. JILL OMORI / HOME PROJECT Students and faculty from the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine gathered Tuesday to help the homeless, an annual event that has been happening for 15 years.
courtesy DR. JILL OMORI / HOME PROJECT First-year medical students Reid Ikeda, left, and Lauryn Liao offered a bento to a man in downtown Honolulu.
courtesy DR. JILL OMORI / HOME PROJECT JABSOM students carried goods to distribute.
In a tradition that has lasted 15 years, students from the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine spent Christmas Eve spreading holiday cheer among Oahu’s homeless population.
The annual outreach effort – led by JABSOM’s Hawaii Houseless Outreach and Medical Education Project – provides free meals and essential items to those in need, offering both practical assistance and a sense of community during the holidays.
JABSOM’s efforts extend beyond clinical education to include initiatives such as helping the homeless, reflecting the belief that healthcare includes mental well-being.
Organizers stressed the importance of ensuring that neighbors with so few people receive a hot meal and thoughtful gifts during the holidays to remind them that someone cares. The event also provided a meaningful experience for the children of faculty and staff, who participated and learned the value of giving back.
In this year’s initiative, more than 50 students, faculty, staff and their family members prepared and distributed 300 lunches and 250 goody bags filled with hygiene kits, food, water bottles and first aid supplies on Tuesday.
Another dozen volunteers contributed by cooking the meals, including ham, rice and corn.
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The group traveled through several neighborhoods, including Chinatown, Downtown, Iwilei, Kakaako, Ala Moana, Makiki, McCully and Moiliili, delivering food and care packages to people living on the streets.
The day started with volunteers collecting lunches at JABSOM’s Kakaako campus at 9 a.m., followed by distribution at nearby locations including Thomas Square Park, where the first stop was made around 10:30 a.m.
Hawaii HOME Project Director Dr. Jill Omori described the atmosphere as festive and genuine, as volunteers and recipients alike shared smiles and moments of gratitude.
Aileen Ferrer, a second-year JABSOM medical student originally from Maui, shared her experience participating in the event for the first time.
Ferrer said the effort brought together faculty, staff, medical students and graduate students, who all worked together to make the day a success.
At least 70 to 80 volunteers helped put together the gift bags, which included snacks, water, hygiene kits, toilet paper and dried food packets, as well as bentos prepared by those who volunteered to cook rice and ham.
“This year was especially meaningful because I brought my two sons, Lucas, 10, and my 5-year-old, along with my boyfriend,” Ferrer said.
She added that the day also had personal significance as it fell on her late mother-in-law’s birthday. The occasion became more than just an effort to help the homeless community; it also served as a family event to honor her mother-in-law by doing something meaningful and impactful in her memory.
At Smith-Beretania Park, Ferrer recounted a poignant interaction in which her son Lucas handed a bento and gift bag to a homeless man sleeping on a bench.
The man’s gratitude and surprise left a strong impression on Lucas, who eagerly wanted to share more after the meeting.
Ferrer said it was moving for her children to witness humanity in those moments.
“They had only heard me talk about my work with the homeless community, but this experience allowed them to break stereotypes and make meaningful connections,” she said.
Ferrer said the effort, led by Dr. Omori, is the driving force behind the Hawaii HOME Project and emphasizes the importance of community service as a family and learning experience.
Ferrer emphasized the value of teaching her children empathy and generosity at a young age, saying, “They saw firsthand how small acts can bring hope and joy into someone’s life.”
After the holidays, Ferrer hopes to see more initiatives to support the homeless population throughout the year.
“There are so many people who want to help, and it would be nice to prioritize these types of efforts year-round,” she said.
The meals and goody bags were funded through a combination of donations, a bake sale and the Hawaii HOME Project operating budget. Faculty and staff emphasized the importance of these efforts, especially during the holiday season, as a way to provide warmth and kindness to those in need.
