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Lady Ipo and Michael Ferreira
Homeowner Stories: Lady Ipo and Michael Ferreira
For Lynn Kahaunaele-Ferreira, better known as Lady Ipo, Wednesday April 14th, 2010 represented a great accomplishment and a blessing as she and her husband Michael Ferreira paid off their Habitat home in full. We sat down with Lady Ipo and Michael to hear about how Kaua`i Habitat for Humanity came into their lives, and how faith and family brought them to their achievement of homeownership
Lady Ipo grew up in Anahola where her family has lived for many generations, passing along the traditions of Hawaiian values of ohana, kuleana, aloha and love for Ke Akua. She first learned about Kaua`i Habitat through the efforts of LaFrance Kapaka-Arboleda, our first Executive Director, who built dozens of homes and a Habitat community in Anahola after Hurricane `Iniki. In 1996, Lady Ipo built her Habitat house with the help of her whole family and neighbors, pooling together resources to build a new future. A semi retired entertainer, Lady Ipo now enjoys her God chosen mission as the Hope Kahu (Associate Pastor) at Ke Akua Mana, Ho`omana O Ke Akua Ola (Church of the Livng God) in Kapa`a
When Lady Ipo shared the story of how she married Michael and turned her life around, she highlighted the transformative power of God’s influence. After the loss of her mother, grandmother, and sister within a short period of time, Ipo felt unable to cope with these losses that came on top of her everyday obligations, like her mortgage payments. By “offering up her life to God”, Lady Ipo said that “He brought me a husband, and changed my outlook on life.” Michael proposed to Ipo on the day of her first sermon as an ordained Minister, and they got married that day in the same church. Through Michael’s support and her steadfast faith, Lady Ipo has finally been able to pay off her mortgage and live secure in the knowledge that her home is entirely her own.
With the house paid off, Ipo and Michael are now free to make plans for a family reunion in Las Vegas and to work on improvements to their home. However, it might be tough to tear Michael away from his work at Kaua`i Freight Service, where he has worked for the last 36 years. “We’re both workaholics,” said Lady Ipo, laughing as she added, “Our life schedules work well together.” With a paid mortgage in hand and a smile on her face, we asked Ipo if she had any advice for other Habitat homeowners. “Things will go up and down, but there is always hope... you need money, yes, but you also need the spirit and love of Ke Akua and family.”
Pictured Left to Right: Bob Ray (KHfH Board President), Crystal Apana, Jamie Apana, Bill Apana, Stephen Spears (KHfH Executive Director)
Homeowner Stories: Apana Family
The Apanas are the most recent Kaua`i Habitat homeowners to pay off their mortgage in full. Pictured here are Bill Apana and two of his five children making their final mortgage payment on February 24th, 2010. Bill and his wife started building their home in Kapa‘a with Kaua`i Habitat for Humanity in 1994, when daughter Jamie (in the middle of the photo) was in diapers, and Crystal (on the left) was just old enough to help out on the house. When Bill came by to drop off his final payment, everyone took a moment to talk story over cake and coffee about the Apana’s Habitat experience.
Bill’s father, who is half Hawaiian, applied for Hawaiian Homelands long ago but was never able to get land. So when Bill came back to Kaua‘i after serving in Vietnam, he bought a piece of land on the Eastside, but could not yet afford to build a house. The Apanas were renting and moving from house to house when they heard about Kaua‘i Habitat for Humanity. Hurricane ‘Iniki had hit the island recently and torn the roof of their rental home, and Kaua‘i Habitat was making a huge public effort to build houses in the wake of the destruction. Bill applied for a Habitat house and by 1994 his home was built through the labor of the Apanas own sweat equity, local volunteers, and volunteer groups from the mainland. Crystal remembers her reluctance to work hard as a kid, but she also remembers a lot of fun as part of her homebuilding memories. Jamie was “the baby” of the family without as many work responsibilities, but she was the one (with Bill’s help) to put the last nail in their brand new home. Both Crystal and Jamie still live with their father in the family home where they grew up with their siblings.
Bill and his daughters were all smiles when they gave the check to Executive Director Stephen Spears and had a chance to reminisce on their accomplishment. Bill remembered the first time he met LaFrance Kapaka-Arboleda, the first Director of Kaua‘i Habitat, when he asked permission to hunt near their property some 20 years ago. Today, Bill still hunts pig in Wai‘ale‘ale and Koke‘e and fishes for akule on the Eastside. After months of labor and love put into building their Habitat home, the Apanas now have many years of good memories in their family home that they can enjoy for generations to come.
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Lady Ipo and Michael Ferreira
Hopes Fulfilled for Habitat Homeowners
For Lynn Kahaunaele-Ferreira, better known as Lady Ipo, Wednesday April 14th, 2010 represented a great accomplishment and a blessing as she and her husband Michael Ferreira paid off their Habitat home in full. We sat down with Lady Ipo and Michael to hear about how Kaua`i Habitat for Humanity came into their lives, and how faith and family brought them to their achievement of homeownership
Lady Ipo grew up in Anahola where her family has lived for many generations, passing along the traditions of Hawaiian values of ohana, kuleana, aloha and love for Ke Akua. She first learned about Kaua`i Habitat through the efforts of LaFrance Kapaka-Arboleda, our first Executive Director, who built dozens of homes and a Habitat community in Anahola after Hurricane `Iniki. In 1996, Lady Ipo built her Habitat house with the help of her whole family and neighbors, pooling together resources to build a new future. A semi retired entertainer, Lady Ipo now enjoys her God chosen mission as the Hope Kahu (Associate Pastor) at Ke Akua Mana, Ho`omana O Ke Akua Ola (Church of the Livng God) in Kapa`a
When Lady Ipo shared the story of how she married Michael and turned her life around, she highlighted the transformative power of God’s influence. After the loss of her mother, grandmother, and sister within a short period of time, Ipo felt unable to cope with these losses that came on top of her everyday obligations, like her mortgage payments. By “offering up her life to God”, Lady Ipo said that “He brought me a husband, and changed my outlook on life.” Michael proposed to Ipo on the day of her first sermon as an ordained Minister, and they got married that day in the same church. Through Michael’s support and her steadfast faith, Lady Ipo has finally been able to pay off her mortgage and live secure in the knowledge that her home is entirely her own.
With the house paid off, Ipo and Michael are now free to make plans for a family reunion in Las Vegas and to work on improvements to their home. However, it might be tough to tear Michael away from his work at Kaua`i Freight Service, where he has worked for the last 36 years. “We’re both workaholics,” said Lady Ipo, laughing as she added, “Our life schedules work well together.” With a paid mortgage in hand and a smile on her face, we asked Ipo if she had any advice for other Habitat homeowners. “Things will go up and down, but there is always hope... you need money, yes, but you also need the spirit and love of Ke Akua and family.”
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Pictured Left to Right: Bob Ray (KHfH Board President), Crystal Apana, Jamie Apana, Bill Apana, Stephen Spears (KHfH Executive Director)
Congratulations to the Apana family!
The Apanas are the most recent Kaua`i Habitat homeowners to pay off their mortgage in full. Pictured here are Bill Apana and two of his five children making their final mortgage payment on February 24th, 2010. Bill and his wife started building their home in Kapa‘a with Kaua`i Habitat for Humanity in 1994, when daughter Jamie (in the middle of the photo) was in diapers, and Crystal (on the left) was just old enough to help out on the house. When Bill came by to drop off his final payment, everyone took a moment to talk story over cake and coffee about the Apana’s Habitat experience.
Bill’s father, who is half Hawaiian, applied for Hawaiian Homelands long ago but was never able to get land. So when Bill came back to Kaua‘i after serving in Vietnam, he bought a piece of land on the Eastside, but could not yet afford to build a house. The Apanas were renting and moving from house to house when they heard about Kaua‘i Habitat for Humanity. Hurricane ‘Iniki had hit the island recently and torn the roof of their rental home, and Kaua‘i Habitat was making a huge public effort to build houses in the wake of the destruction. Bill applied for a Habitat house and by 1994 his home was built through the labor of the Apanas own sweat equity, local volunteers, and volunteer groups from the mainland. Crystal remembers her reluctance to work hard as a kid, but she also remembers a lot of fun as part of her homebuilding memories. Jamie was “the baby” of the family without as many work responsibilities, but she was the one (with Bill’s help) to put the last nail in their brand new home. Both Crystal and Jamie still live with their father in the family home where they grew up with their siblings.
Bill and his daughters were all smiles when they gave the check to Executive Director Stephen Spears and had a chance to reminisce on their accomplishment. Bill remembered the first time he met LaFrance Kapaka-Arboleda, the first Director of Kaua‘i Habitat, when he asked permission to hunt near their property some 20 years ago. Today, Bill still hunts pig in Wai‘ale‘ale and Koke‘e and fishes for akule on the Eastside. After months of labor and love put into building their Habitat home, the Apanas now have many years of good memories in their family home that they can enjoy for generations to come.
