Column: Volunteerism is infectious community builder, agent of aloha
How One Man's Small Acts of Service Sparked Global Change
When I first waded knee-deep through loi at Papahana Kuaola, crossing streams and pulling weeds, I felt the essence of what volunteering truly means for a community. More than completing tasks, it is about healing, connecting and carrying aloha far beyond the moment.
Just as clearing the aina allows native plants to grow strong, volunteering clears obstacles so communities can thrive. I witnessed this when I helped organize a food drive providing 5,000-plus meals, and also through founding Lead Forward, a nonprofit started in Hawaii that teaches underserved youth essential leadership skills, and has grown to more than 25 chapters worldwide. The students' laughter and high fives remind me that volunteering is not just about meeting present needs, but also about future empowerment.
At Papahana, I learned that rivers are crossed not by standing apart, but by joining hands.
In the same way, volunteering transcends age, background and culture, weaving together the bonds of aloha that make our communities whole. I saw this come to life while assisting second-graders in writing letters for nursing home residents: the keiki's excitement and questions created joy, and the kupuna's faces beamed as they read the thoughtful and caring words.
Perhaps the deepest gift of volunteering, though, is hope.
As our day at Papahana ended, clouds finally parted over the Koolau, spilling golden light across the valley. This echoed how service shines rays of renewal where shadows once lingered, like the time I organized a project to honor our often-overlooked school custodians with gift baskets. One staff member, tears streaming, told me she had never felt so truly appreciated.
Or when I traveled with the Hawaii Youth Symphony to play music for keiki affected by the Maui wildfires; their squeals of delight and voices singing "Let It Go" reminded me that joy and healing can emerge even after devastation.
Volunteering whispers to people: You matter, you are seen, you are loved.
In her parting words, the kumu at Papahana reminded us that Hawaii's strength lies in a community bound by aloha, where the impact of service reaches far past a single act.
I have lived this truth myself - after a season of collapsed lungs, major surgeries and resulting anxiety, by God's grace I survived, and felt called to support youth who, like myself, once hid their pain behind a smile.
After creating a school youth speaker series and sharing my story with hundreds of classmates, to my surprise, many were deeply moved. Some began sharing their own struggles, creating a chain reaction of honesty and courage that reshaped the culture of our class - and beyond.
This is the ripple effect of volunteering: each act, no matter how small, can grow into a movement of compassion and connection.
It builds communities where people uplift one another, and where service is passed from hand to hand.
As the final oli we chanted at Papahana reminds us: "Lei a hua i ke aloha mau a mau e." May we carry this spirit of aloha forward - always, without end.
Kenton Chan, a Punahou School junior, is founder of the nonprofit Lead Forward (goleadforward.org). This essay was one of the winners of the Hawai'i Access to Justice Commission contest.
