Cameron Center - About Us

Wailuku, Maui
On April 30,2003 the J. Walter Cameron Center and its non-profit agencies and services celebrated its 30th anniversary. The Center also celebrated the blessing of its latest project: a child-care center for infants and children called Kahi Kamali'i, "the place for children."

The Center may be named for one man, but that man represented a concept that included caring for everyone in the entire community, from children to adults, whether they are ill, disabled, seeking relief or recovery.

It was in the late '50s when this successful businessman with a big heart dreamt of building a large facility that would house many different public and private agencies. It was a unique concept, not only to Hawaii, but to the Mainland as well. Under one roof, old-fashion community care would be provided as it was done traditionally in the plantation camps during the late '40s and early '50s.

The latest addition to Cameron Center, Kahi Kamali'i is a 4,272 square-foot child-care center cost approximately $1.1 million to build. Kahi Kamali'i, "the place for children," will accommodate 40 infants and toddlers. The program is geared towards servicing low-income families. In front of the child care center, a street sign bears the name of the Chairman of the Long Range Planning Committee, Dr. Fumio Tsuji, who helped spearhead the project. KAhi Kamali'i's planning partners include MEO, Maui Community College, and Cameron Center's long-range planning board members Larry Ing, Hideo Kawahara, Clyde Murashige, and Lloyd Sodetani. The dentist was caught off guard when Chairman of the Board Mike Lyons announced that the street sign in front of the child care center bears Dr. Tsuji's name. "This is such an overwhelming surprise," says Dr. Tsuji.
- Wayne Tanaka photos.

"Life in the camps was like living in a self-sufficient village, everyone took care of each other, especially if someone was ill," says Audrey Rocha-Reed, J. Walter Cameron Center's former President and Chief Executive Officer (retired: 2007). "Then 'Dream City-Kahului' developed, and people working in the plantations were able to buy their own homes. As they moved away, the sense of a very close community began to dismantle. At that time there were a few human services available on Maui, and they were scattered in different directions, making access difficult for those who didn't have transportation."

About this time J. Walter Cameron was the head of the Kula Sanatorium, was active with Maui Memorial Hospital, and was the President of the Board of Ka Lima O Maui, an agency that provides services for mentally and physically disabled persons.

One evening, while meeting with some of the supporters of Ka Lima O Maui, he was asked, "Why can't we have a building where the roof doesn't leak, and when the wind blows, it doesn't blow right through the wooden walls?"

Cameron began thinking about this and put up the first $10,000 to do a feasibility study. It showed that there was indeed a need for such a community service center. But another challenge arose.

"I remember when Mr. Cameron came to me for dental care, he would just walk in at anytime," recalls Fumio Tsuji, DDS. Dr. Tsuji had no problem with Cameron's unannounced visits. Tsuji was 17 years old when he first met Cameron, the General Manager at Maui Pineapple and Chairman of Alexander & Baldwin. Tsuji, whose father died when he was five years old, worked at the Haliimaile plantation's dispensary as an X-ray technician, nurse's aide, medication purchaser, office manager, driver, and more. Cameron supported him everyway he could even when Tsuji decided to become a dentist.

Today, at age 85, Dr. Tsuji recalls the many times Cameron helped him throughout his life. When Tsuji got married to a public school teacher and had their first child, Cameron allowed them to stay at their home in Haliimaile at no cost. This allowed Tsuji to continue working for Cameron and also to go to school. Cameron's kindness and generosity continued as he provided the plane tickets for Tsuji to interview with different dental schools on the mainland. And when Tsuji graduated from his dental program, Cameron sent him airline tickets so they all could come back home.

Cameron not only talked about it, he lived a life of helping others so that they too could advance themselves and continue the cycle of caring for the community. He also was instrumental in the building of Maui Memorial Hospital, as well as Ka`ahumanu Shopping Center.

So whenever Cameron entered the office and building that the young dentist owned in Kahului, the elder gentleman was never turned away. "One day he came in with tears in his eyes," recalls Dr. Tsuji. "There was no more money to support the project." Dr. Tsuji sent Cameron over to introduce himself to Douglas Sodetani, a successful businessman who had strong political connections. Timing would be good, knowing that Sodetani would be going to Washington D.C. the following week to meet with Sen. Inouye and Congresswoman Patsy Mink. Sodetani also was campaign chairman for Gov. George Ariyoshi, and for Mayor Elmer Cravalho.

Cameron happened to be a Republican at a time when the Democrats were completely in power. So when Mr. Democrat and Mr. Republican met, their lives changed forever. Douglas contacted his friends in high places and lobbied to get building money. In the meantime, Mayor Elmer Cravalho also saw the many benefits of this project. "However 30 years ago, it was a very daunting task to raise the $2.2 million needed to build the Cameron Center," says Rocha-Reed.

With much work through many collaborative efforts, the funds started to come. Finally the Center was built with federal and state money; in addition, the County of Maui provided the land and purchased the old Alexander House property, which had been given to Cameron Center. Monies also came from trusts and foundations, "along with donations from the average good-hearted person living in Kahului and Wailuku."

"When the J. Walter Cameron Center was finally built, it truly was seen as belonging to the community," says Rocha-Reed.

J. Walter Cameron lived long enough to see his dream come true. The Center celebrated its opening on April 23, 1973 with 15 agencies under its roof. He served as the Center's President until his death in January 1976. His Vice President Douglas Sodetani stepped up to the plate as President until Sodetani passed away in December 1996.

Dr. Tsuji became a member of the board in 1990, taking over as the Chairman of the Long Range Planning Committee, succeeding Colin Cameron. And the cycle of giving continues, as one of Dr. Tsuji's projects, a child care center for infants and children called Kahi Kamali'i, opened up in June 2003.