Roxanne “RJ” Hampton, who replaced me as the legislative aide for Puna Councilwoman Emily Naeole, is seeking my help to get Emily to the People’s Inaugural Ball.
Earl Stafford, a religious businessman from Virginia is hosting a million-dollar People’s Inaugural Ball, where 1,000 homeless, battered, disabled, and terminally ill people will spend three days at a luxury hotel close to the White House to commemorate Barack Obama’s inauguration.
RJ sent me this email this morning:
“Aloha Tiffany,
I saw this in the paper on Thursday. I was hoping you could help us get Auntie to DC to participate in this event she so wants to go and we think she has a chance if we move quickly. I acknowledge your gift of persuasion through the printed word and was hoping you could put it together so it will fly.
the link below give an idea of whats going to happen. We want her son to go too.
Its the trip of a lifetime and she sure does deserve it.
She knows nothing so if it happens it will be a big surprise.
It’s 6AM and I am off.
Good seeing you at the parade.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/04/obama-white-house-inauguaration-ball-poor
‘Dear Mr. Stafford:
Aloha from Hawaii. We would like to introduce you to Auntie Emily Naeole, Hawaiian, mother, grandmother and Puna District Councilwoman of the Island of Hawaii. What is so special about this woman is that she has been homeless, hungry, a substance abuser and she has turned her life around and now is working to provide food, shelter, rehab, and education for her community.She has been praying to find a way to make this historic trip to Washington DC ever since she one re-election and appeared on the front page along with the president elect Barack Obama.
Councilwoman Emily I. Naeole
This woman embodies the meaning and essence of Hawaii and Aloha. She was described as “the heart and soul” of Hawaii by U.S. Rep., Daniel Akaka in 2008. She is in demand as a public speaker to address graduating classes of public, charter schools and substance abuse programs. She is candid about her “wild” younger days, poverty, homelessness, and the circumstances it took to choose another path. She is living proof that making a choice, working at it everyday and a close relationship with Ke Akua (GOD), can make anything possible.
Puna has been historically the most under served community in all the Hawaiian islands. Since Auntie Emily has entered the body politic it has become standard operating procedure for government and social service agencies to visit rural communities periodically to solicit their concerns. Emily is one of the few island legislators addressing the island’s hungry and unsheltered and doing something about it.. It is easy for her because she has been doing it for the past 30 years. Her entry into the world politic upgraded her resource pool from that of an active community volunteer providing a home for her family of six, by winning two terms to the islands legislative body, She chairs the Human Services and Economic Development Committee and is able to channel money to support local community activities.
A tireless worker, she attends meetings, family gatherings, graduations. Auntie is here, there, everywhere. Sometimes the job is not easy and financially unrewarding yet she continues to serve with love and joy. Her dedication and devotion apparently irritates some of her constituents but she tries to find solutions that will serve everyone, Hawaiian style.”It is all good”, she says “It is all in God’s hands.”
Auntie Emily is loved across the island and across the State. She is the embodiment of Aloha. We think she is a perfect representative for the under served. She is bringing new values and vision to our Island.
We are hoping you will select Auntie Emily and her son Kora (It’s Kopa) a senior in high school to participate in your wonderful event she has been praying to find a way to make this historic trip to Washington DC.’ “
RJ, you are now Emily’s right-hand woman. If this is what you consider to be Council District 5 business, I must remind you that you are an assistant who reportedly has arranged to have, not just one assistant, two assistants. I should hope that one or all of you would be able to make contact with Mr. Earl Stafford, of Virginia, on Emily’s behalf.
December 7th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Did you get your final paycheck yet?
You aren’t holding back are you!
December 8th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Well done, Tiff. Delegation of responsibility is an important thing to learn!
December 10th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Hampton told me today that her email you to was for personal use only.
I told her that now that she is a legislative aide… there is no such thing as “Personal use”