Allen Yadao
Vol. 22, No. 4, Feb. 16, 2001
Going to the Lanakila Multi-Purpose Senior Center maintains the mental and physical health of retired Hongwanji Mission School teacher Cecilia Lindo. As a member of the center’s Participant Advisory Board, she advises the staff on present operations and future directions.
And, unlike her husband, who spends about $500 a year to work out at the YMCA, Lindo takes advantage of the center’s free classes —stretching and toning, line dancing and luk tung kuen, a form of Chinese exercise.
“I really appreciate the center very much. This is one place that really fills my heart with joy,” she said.
Lindo is one of the 2,630 seniors who come to the center to enjoy a retirement filled with social events and learning new skills. It is a place where they rejuvenate themselves.
The Lanakila Multi-Purpose Senior Center began in 1966 when the state Legislature appropriated $181,000 to finance the construction of a “senior opportunity center” in Lanakila. It would be a place where seniors could go for recreation and social services.
The state-owned center opened as the Hawaii State Senior Center on Nov. 1, 1969, under the management of Honolulu Community College. Although funding for the first three years came from the state and the federal governments, the state eventually assumed all funding.
In 1981, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Honolulu was awarded management of the center, which was then renamed the Lanakila Multi-Purpose Senior Center. Catholic Charities Elderly Services, an affiliate of Catholic Charities, now manages the program.
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Allen Yadao was a staff writer from 2000 to 2001. A few days after celebrating his birthday in February 2000, editor Mark Santoki informed the UH-Mänoa journalism graduate that he had gotten the job — his first in journalism. “I told Mark, I’m taking it, and thanks for the shot.” In March 2001, Allen resigned to pursue a law degree from Oklahoma City University, which he received in May 2006. After passing the Hawai‘i state bar exam, Allen entered government service, working initially for the state Attorney General’s office and, subsequently, as a deputy prosecutor for the City and County of Honolulu. Allen is presently a contract specialist for The Queen’s Health Systems.
