WAILUKU – Dr. Jerry Welch’s significant contributions during 13 years as a member of the Aloha House Inc. board have made him the fourth recipient of the Michael H. Lyons II Palaka Award, presented by the J. Walter Cameron Center.
The award honors the aloha spirit and “genuine caring” of the late Lyons, a Bank of Hawaii executive who gave much service to the community while wearing his trademark palaka shirts.Welch, a doctor of dental surgery, has volunteered his services to Aloha House and its sister agency, Malama Family Recovery Center, serving as the board’s president, secretary, treasurer and vice president.
He also encouraged diversification of programs and mission so the agency would “never be in a position of having to close down from being too invested in just a few programs,” according to the Cameron Center announcement of the award.
“Dr. Welch has championed the creation of a medical detox program (separate from the hospital) for alcohol and other drugs,” said Jud Cunningham, Aloha House executive director who nominated Welch. “His relationship with the medical director of the hospital at the time was instrumental in forging this important partnership, bringing a new and critically needed service to the Maui community. We now have the only medically monitored, subacute detox center in the state of Hawaii.
“Dr. Welch has championed the creation of transitional living, ’clean and sober’ homes, so that people may live in a safe environment for a longer time after completing treatment,” Cunningham said.
“He also spearheaded the effort to establish a volunteer program for the two agencies to help tie the community to Aloha House and vice versa. We now have a paid volunteer coordinator and a growing volunteer program.”
The award was presented at the Cameron Center’s annual meeting held June 1 in the facility’s auditorium
Among his many contributions, Lyons chaired the Cameron Center board. Award recipients have served at least 10 years as a volunteer member of a board or working committee of a nonprofit group, and they have made “significant and enduring” contributions.
The first recipient of the award was Tady Arisumi, for his 23 years of service on Cameron Center’s Facilities and Maintenance Committee. Other honorees were Dr. Fumio Tsuji, longtime chairman of the center’s Long Range Planning Committee; and Marcella Corell, a 34-year volunteer with the Mental Health Association in Maui.
Located in Wailuku, the J. Walter Cameron Center houses and supports nonprofit health and social-service agencies.
