Harvey Chun
Harvey Chun
Aloha Community Shed
Honolulu, Hawai’i
The mission of the Aloha Community Shed is to encourage healthy physical, social and mental opportunities for senior men and women to share friendships, experiences and projects with pride, dignity and Aloha in a welcoming environment for the benefit of members and community. The Aloha Community Shed builds projects for the local community, such as raised garden planters and benches, and also sells artisan items in pop-ups and craft fairs.
The Board of Directors is made up of Harvey Chun, Dean Keil, Mark Campbell, Secretary; Bob Jewell, Treasurer; and Jonathan Okabe, President.
The Aloha shed offers community and purpose to senior adults. Older adults are at higher risk for social isolation and loneliness due to changes in health and diminished social connections. Research has linked this social isolation to higher risks for a variety of physical and mental conditions.
In Honolulu, the Aloha Shed is open 3 days each week in Dole Community Park and regularly has 10-12 workers each day. Activities include volunteering in community projects like making picnic benches for schools, a garden bench for the senior center, and a garden clean-up for the Homeless Veteran group.
The Shed movement originated in Australia around the 1980s as a way to improve the health and wellbeing of older men. The Aloha Shed has expanded to include women and men of all ages and a broad array of activities, not just woodworking.
The Aloha Shed is funded through donations and partnerships with Home Depot and other local businesses, as well as proceeds from the sale of artisan crafts at craft fairs and pop-up shops.
