Shop Lanakila’s Online Store

Marian Tsuji

By Marian Tsuji President and CEO of Lanikila Pacific

In honor of National Disability Awareness Month, Lanakila Pacific officially launches its new online store, Lanakila Custom Products.

Lanakila Custom Products offers quality custom apparel, promotional products and packaging services. Everything is printed locally, all while supporting employment opportunities for people with disabilities and Lanakila Meals on Wheels for Hawaii seniors.

For the past five years, Lanakila’s Custom Products division has quietly provided silk-screening services for items such as T-shirts and bags. In 2011 we were awarded a grant from the Hogan Nonprofit Business Plan Competition at Chaminade University to create a darkroom and upgrade equipment. In 2011 and 2012, we received grants from the Sophie Russell Testamentary Trust to purchase a pad printer to imprint promotional items such as pens, mugs, water bottles and flash drives and develop the online store.

(from left) Jose Sanchez-Delos Santos, Adam Beyer, Alexander Chicano, Reid Fujishige, Thad Ferguson, Xiao Ming Cheng, Yan Peng Xiao and Dane Basques
Photos courtesy Lanakila Pacific

Five trainees (people with disabilities) are enrolled, learning a new skill that will help them as they lead independent lives. Skill development concentrates on a combination of pre-employment assessments, occupational skills training, practical work experience and job coaching – all essential components in obtaining and maintaining employment.

Purchases not only provide opportunities for people with disabilities, but the profits help sustain Lanakila Pacific’s non-revenue generating services to the community, including Lanakila Meals on Wheels.

What really makes this new Web store special is that through Lanakila Custom Products our trainees are learning job skills to help them lead more self-sufficient lives. Lanakila Custom Products is one of the job-training programs that fall under Lanakila Social Enterprises. The beauty of this is that not only are we providing job-training services, we also generate revenue for our programs, making us less dependent on donations and grants.

For more information, call 356-8539 or visit lanaki-lacustomproducts.com

Lanakila Custom Products is a division of Lanakila Pacific. Call 356-8539 for more information