State and city officials joined the Waianae community Sunday, which would have been Twinkle Borge’s birthday, at Pu‘uhonua o Wai‘anae Farm Village for a memorial service honoring her and dedicating the day as a “Day of Aloha.” Borge, a fierce advocate for the homeless community at the Waianae Small Boat Harbor, died Aug. 5 at the age of 54.
Former Gov. David Ige said the last time he met Borge was about a week before she died, when the U.S.
Air National Guard came to the Pu‘uhonua o Wai‘anae site for a training readiness program. “She was excited and happy to finally be able to make her dream come true in a real way,” Ige said. “For Auntie Twinkle it always is about helping people.
Being able to offer people a better life is just something that she worked all of her life to do.” Ige described Borge as someone who had immense respect for everyone and recognized the value in each person. He noted that throughout the years he had known her, she was always dedicated to being part of the solution, understanding the community’s needs and effectively communicating to officials what worked and what didn’t.
“She will be missed but her legacy will live on,” Ige said. Pu‘uhonua o Wai‘anae, a community of approximately 200 unhoused people, is home to keiki, kupuna and working families, with two-thirds of its residents identifying as Native Hawaiian. The community was led by longtime resident Borge, who was also affectionately known as “Mama.
” James P.