Youth-run boutique from Queen Liliuokalani Trust provides essentials, leadership training for Waianae children

Students from the Queen Liliuokalani Trust presented a youth-run “boutique” on an Olelo Channel broadcast, saying it supplies underwear, clothes, shoes and basic toiletries to children who otherwise lack them and offers leadership and workforce experiences for young people.

"We started boutique back in around 2020," said Palihua, a program participant. "It's to have kids underwear, clothes, shoes, deodorant," she said, adding the goal is to create “a space where kids could feel safe, loved, and heard.”

The boutique is staffed and run in part by Trust participants and tied to other youth efforts such as a summer workforce program and internships. One student described interning with designer Kimi Zamora, saying the experience emphasized serving customers and creating products that bring recipients happiness. Program participants also said they are launching a podcast to amplify youth voices to community leaders.

Organizers described outreach to potential sponsors and partners to stock the boutique; a student in the Moolelo group said they wrote letters to businesses and organizations to request donations and endorsements. Students said partners help buy many of the boutique’s items and that the Trust’s workforce programming supports student roles.

The boutique uses a points-based incentive program. Students earn points for actions such as attending school or getting good grades and can redeem those points—referred to in the program as "legal bucks"—for needed items or interview clothing. "You got a shirt right there with your 10 legal bucks," one participant explained, describing how the system is meant to prioritize needs first.

An inventory team member said the program intentionally prices essentials lowest so community members can obtain necessities before spending on wants. "We made sure that everything our community needs is more lower priced," the student said, noting toiletries and basic hygiene items are prioritized.

On the broadcast, the host also raised broader community concerns, saying many children across the island are homeless and urging more action to identify and assist students who lack stable housing. The host said the students present are examples of leadership development the Trust provides and thanked program staff for mentoring youth.

The students closed by urging continued support for Native Hawaiian youth and describing the boutique as a first step in building lasting community change; the broadcast ended with thanks and an aloha.