Hula and Habitat for Humanity forever altered Leina\u2019ala\u2019s life. One connected her to her cultural roots; the other let her lay down new roots of her own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In August, Leina\u2019ala became a first-time homeowner at Habitat\u2019s Kenton Commons in Northeast Portland. But before she even had the keys, she knew every inch of her new home. She had helped build it \u2014 installing doorknobs, caulking, painting shelving, and finishing the closets. \u201cAny projects they wanted me to do, I more than happily did them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leina\u2019ala grew up in Northeast Portland in the home her parents have lived in now for more than half a century. As a single mother with two sons, Leina\u2019ala had always rented apartments, up to the point where she decided she wanted what her parents had: a home to call her own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn some way, shape, or form, I knew the next place I moved to was going to be my place,\u201d Leina\u2019ala said. \u201cI don’t want to keep on renting when I can own something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leina\u2019ala connected with Habitat after working with the Portland Housing Center and qualifying for the city\u2019s N\/NE Preference Policy. The policy gives priority placement to housing applicants who were displaced or at risk of displacement, or descendants of households that were displaced due to urban renewal efforts in North and Northeast Portland. For Leina\u2019ala, it meant she was able to stay near her family and the community where she grew up and now works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She entered the Habitat homeownership program and put in more than 180 hours on site helping build her new home. She was onsite three to four times a week, helping with the home\u2019s construction and offering input on design details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I do something, I’m very committed,\u201d she said \u201cI knew the commitment level, and I knew what I was going to get at the end. I just got to hold out and it’s gonna happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That commitment shines through when she talks about the impact of hula dancing on her life. What began as a way for Leina\u2019ala to connect with her family\u2019s culture \u2014 her mother is Hawaiian \u2014 has become a cornerstone in her life. She began taking hula lessons with her son more than a decade ago, and she counts her teachers and the Pacific Islander community they created among her closest friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hula has also propelled Leina\u2019ala\u2019s career as a dancer and a teacher with teens. She works with youths with Portland Parks and Recreation at the Charles Jordan Recreation Center, where she hosts weekly hula classes, among other activities. And she taught hula to Habitat youth as part of her sweat equity hours. When Leina\u2019ala was ready to move into her new Habitat home in August, her original hula teachers, who now live in Montana, came back to Portland, and conducted a ceremonial blessing. It was an emotional event for Leina\u2019ala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n