KKV’s Facilities Warrior

Joreen Range has served as KKV’s Housekeeping and Maintenance Coordinator for the past 20 years. In 2001, she was hired to handle housekeeping for the then new Judd Medical Clinic. “I’m Kalihi born and raised - went to Fern, Dole, and Farrington.” says Joreen, “It was a dream to come back to Kalihi to work!” Soft-spoken and laser focused, she and her small crew remain behind the scenes to keep KKV running.

Joreen is at KKV by 5am and still leaves when it’s dark. Every Sunday she devotes to big projects at the maintenance garage next to the KVIBE warehouse.  

She is the go-to person KKV staff turn to when things go wrong.   

“Joreen does a lot, she works so hard, nights and days, 24/7 for KKV,” says Mui Kong, KKV’s Chief Operations Officer. 

Joreen credits her father for teaching her carpentry skills and giving her the no-nonsense attitude. A boilermaker at Pearl Harbor, her father shared his “love of building and fixing anything,” she says. Since elementary school, she learned from watching and helping him—how to work with different materials, how to use hand and power tools, including the table saw. He always stressed, safety first. Joreen applies the same good sense and good habits to her work at KKV.  

“Walking into buildings that are 20 years old but look brand new speaks about Joreen’s love for this community,” says KKV Executive Director Dr. David Derauf. “That level of care is healing medicine. Joreen’s work is as critical to our mission and work as anyone I know.”  

Joreen sees her job as “not all maintenance and cleaning, it’s connecting with the people. Lotta patients been here for years and say, ‘Oh good, you still here!’  There are youth who used to call her “Aunty” and now as men, give her big hugs and call her “Sis.” 

“l do my part, taking care of one part of Kalihi,” Joreen says. “Yeh, I’m proud of Kalihi. That’s why I’m here.”