SuperHero Showcase Winners

“I’m nominating my dear friend Tori.  She is the consummate mother to anyone who needs one. She has taken in many children through foster and hānai (informal adoption). She rescues baby mynah birds who fall from their nest, dropper feeding them until they can fly on their own. People drop stray dogs and cats at her door knowing she’ll give them the best life possible.

Tori just finished 8 rounds of chemo for aggressive breast cancer. She has more treatments and surgeries ahead. She is a single mom to a teenage son with special needs she fostered then adopted, and two boys who aged out of foster who she still cares for as their ability to live and support themselves alone is not yet possible. She has given these 2 young men a fair chance at life after their many years of physical and emotional abuse by their mother and stepfather. All of the kids she’s fostered who are adults now, consider Tori their savior.

“Aloha, On behalf of Maui Memorial Hospital frontline workers in the COVID and Intensive Care units, we would like to nominate Shelly Brown for SuperHero status. Shelly is a community member who has been purchasing, preparing, cooking, and delivering fresh vegan food for our frontline workers every Sundays for more than a year now. Shelly has sacrificed most of her free time to help our staff as she shops for fresh and healthy ingredients and begins preparations. On Sundays, she wakes up early to prepare food for up to 25 people (not a small task). Shelly is mindful and thoughtful in every way as she chooses produce to purchase from local farmers to further support Hawaiʻi’s economy.

When Shelly is not preparing meals for MMMC ICU staff, she works full time with Maui Family Support Services helping victims of abuse. Shelly also assists the County of Maui with census data everyday after work. She also volunteers at “Food Not Bombs” each month to feed the hungry. Restaurants reaching out for business know they can count on Shelly as she is the first person on the reservation list. Shelly often spends much of her own money to cover the differences in cost of food for the healthcare providers.

As I write this letter of recommendation, I find myself tearful. It’s difficult to describe how much this huge gesture means to our staff as we often feel exhausted and physically/psychologically depleted working through this pandemic with the most ill COVID patients on the island. This loving gesture has literally shifted our days into moments of gratitude and happiness. Shelly’s unconditional kindness has touched our hearts which also translates in our patient care, which affects the wellness of our community as a whole.

Thank you for your time and serious consideration. It takes people like Shelly to keep our community afloat and safe. Please help us thank her!”

Marilyn demonstrates extraordinary commitment to her team and to the Maui community. She is a leader who manages the breakfast operation on the line as well as the main spokesperson on behalf of the culinary team. During the pandemic, Marilyn showed her compassionate and generous nature by donating a portion of the Hawaii Restaurant Card she received from the state which was distributed to those on unemployment and impacted by COVID-19.

Marilyn did not think twice to contact a local Food Truck to sponsor Kupuna (elder) Meals! Each year Marilyn volunteers in the Kupuna Holiday Dinner, where she will not only prepare the food she will also invest her time and money in creating magnificent and memorable festive centerpieces for the guests to bring home. Marilyn loves to share her culinary passion and experiences with the students on Career Day at the local elementary school, Kihei Elementary and has been presenting to the students year after year. Marilyn is a remarkable role model and pleasure to have on our culinary team.

Her superpower: Marilyn’s superpower is that she is 100% selfless – she is humble and will always put others first, she is generous and considerate and loves to serve her family and community. She is a single mother of 3 and during her spare time watches her grandchildren.”