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St. Vincent de Paul
charity helps ease grieving
family’s difficulties

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By Mary Adamski
Star-Bulletin

Neijetak Nang and her children left Honolulu on Thursday, accompanying the body of her husband Mios home to Majuro for burial.

Sad though the family's journey was, it was made possible by the kindness of strangers in Hawaii.

The return to the Marshall Islands, 2,000 miles southwest of Honolulu, ended their stay of more than a year in Honolulu. Mios Nang, 58, had come to Hawaii with the hope of surgery or treatment to halt his cancer of the larynx. He died July 11 in Hospice Hawaii.

Nang's family wanted to take him home to die, but it was not possible because of his weakened condition, said Hospice Hawaii social worker Sonja Ome. When they learned the cost of transporting his body plus airline tickets for Neijetak, daughter Charity and son Yoshi, it was far more than they could afford.

Ome said that due to religious and cultural beliefs, it was important to the family to take the body home for burial.

Hospice social worker Cynthia Franzen called upon the St. Vincent de Paul Society, which has helped families of hospice residents in the past.

Members of the Catholic charity solicited help and discounts from Aloha Airlines, Hawaiian Memorial Park Mortuary and the Batesville Casket Co. and invested nearly $2,000 in the trip.

"We feel good about doing this," said society spokesman William Barnette. "It goes beautifully with our theme, 'no work of charity is foreign to the society.' We're doing God's work, we see God in every person."

A small group of people carry out the St. Vincent de Paul Society work in Hawaii, financed through donations. In some mainland cities, the society operates soup kitchens or thrift shops.

Thomas Kunimune said, "This case was a little different for us. We usually help with food, or rent payments." Society members decide on their investment in each case after interviewing the applicants, who are referred by parishes or outreach operations, he said.

Contributions to the St. Vincent de Paul Society may be made in care of Harold Westphalen, 46-160 Hinalani St., Kaneohe, 96744.