Children and residents of The Homes at Ulu Wini. Photo courtesy of HOPE Services.

Children and residents of The Homes at Ulu Wini. Photo courtesy of HOPE Services.

Children and residents of The Homes at Ulu Wini gather around Kahu Brian Broshard, who led the playground blessing and groundbreaking ceremony. Photo courtesy of HOPE Services.

Children and residents of The Homes at Ulu Wini gather around Kahu Brian Broshard, who led the playground blessing and groundbreaking ceremony. Photo courtesy of HOPE Services.

From left to right, Christine Bean of the Roberts Foundation, Michael Capelle and Honu Ka‘ai, Alaka‘i Youth Leaders at Ulu Wini, Anne Baily, Assistant Housing Administrator for County of Hawaii Office of Housing and Community Development, Brandee Menino, CEO of HOPE Services Hawaii, and Kahu Brian Broshard at Ulu Wini playground blessing and groundbreaking. Photo courtesy of HOPE Services.

Rendering of the Ulu Wini Playground

Rendering of the Ulu Wini Playground

Layout of the Ulu Wini Playground

HOPE Services Hawaii joined residents of Na Kahua Hale O Ulu Wini (The Homes at Ulu Wini) to break ground on a brand-new outdoor playspace at the Ulu Wini housing complex in Kailua-Kona on February 25, 2015.

The $180,000 state-of-the-art Miracle Mega Tower is a first for Ulu Wini and was made possible through a donation from the Roberts Foundation. Anne Bailey from the Office of Housing and Community Development was present on behalf the County of Hawaii administration.

“The residents and keiki of Ulu Wini are so excited and grateful to have a beautiful and safe outdoor play structure in their backyard,” said Brandee Menino, Chief Operating Officer of HOPE Services. “We have so much aloha for the Roberts Foundation.”

The 62’ X 52’ Mega Tower will feature four play structures including a heptagon double decker tower and water fountain, spiral and wave slides, a fish bridge, play panels and climbing apparatuses including stairs, risers, ladders and a fossil bluff climbing wall. The play structures, with the exception of the water fountain, will be covered with recycled steel roofing or commercial grade fabric umbrellas.

The Mega Tower playspace allows access to multiple levels and is meant to encourage social inclusion and sensory play.

Volunteers from Lake Mead Christian Academy and residents from Ulu Wini will be assisting NyLawn with construction of the playground, which is expected to be complete by the end of March 2015.

Built in 2013 by the County of Hawaii’s Office of Housing & Community Development and operated by HOPE Services, The Homes at Ulu Wini provides 96 two-bedroom units—23 transitional housing for homeless families, 72 affordable housing dedicated to low-income families and one unit for the resident manager.