By Ken Ige, Star-Bulletin
Jason Lum, left, and Shannon Mita of Maryknoll School
ready "care packages" filled with food to be dispersed
to needy families. Each year, Maryknoll students
lend a hand to the community.
The youngsters are among hundreds of island residents who are moved to help feed their less fortunate neighbors during the holiday season which begins with Thanksgiving.
"They kind of get connected with the special people they are helping," said Rose Anne Petro, Maryknoll director of religious education, Tuesday. Although the children don't personally distribute food, they take a real interest in their families because "we let them know details, like 'this family has a baby,'" she said.
Each year, their beneficiaries are from a different part of the community. It was victims at an abused spouse shelter one year, and people in transitional housing another. "One year we put on a play for a school group we adopted," said Petro. "When it was the Job Corps, we gave them a party. We had a pregnant woman one year and the seventh grade threw a baby shower."
The Maryknollers will continue to collect things for their families for Christmas.
Dozens of adult volunteers will also make the personal connection today. Members of government agencies and community organizations pitch in to produce the traditional turkey feast for more than 2,300 people at the Salvation Army Thanksgiving dinner at Neal Blaisdell Center. The food is donated by local hotels, markets and other businesses.
"That's how many we served last year, but I would expect an increase," said Chad Buchanan, social services coordinator. "We are prepared for 3,000." Tickets to the midday meal are distributed by several agencies, "but if someone shows up at the door ... we've never turned anybody away."
After the banquet is over, the food collection will continue for the Salvation Army's Christmas distribution of bags of food and gifts. Children in public and private school bring, sports teams and service clubs collect. "We need 600 more pounds of food than we've already got," said Buchanan. The urban Honolulu Kauluwela Corps distribution is expected to be up from 950 bags last year, to 1,100.
"With all the cuts taking place in welfare, and with the way the economy on this island has gone, we're seeing about double in the food bags given out throughout the year," Buchanan said.
"This is the holiday people connect with food," said Sharon Chiarucci of the Catholic diocese's Oahu Social Ministry. "There are more requests than at Christmas." The agency bought 166 turkey dinner certificates and $15,000 worth of all-purpose food certificates for distribution by a network of parish food pantries.
She said the agency solicits monetary donations from church congregations in more affluent areas, or without their own food outreach operations, to share with the poorer neighborhoods.
Pat Kaslausky, outreach director at St. Patrick Church, said a corps of church members packed 600 boxes of food this week, each topped with a Foodland shopping certificate. That's up from 500 distributed last year.
"This year the donations were good," she said. Several public schools and churches of other denominations added their donations to the gifts from the Kaimuki Catholic congregation. The recipients are mostly from East Honolulu, Kaslausky said. "People are having a hard time making ends meet even if they have a job." The Thanksgiving demand is in addition to daily distribution of food. "Sometimes 25-30 people knock on our door."
This is the eighth year of Foodland's "share a holiday feast" program. Over the years, shoppers have purchased 26,202 certificates which provide the turkey and fixings for families in need. The $12.50 price to the shopper "doesn't cover the price of the meal at all," said public relations director Tim Parker. "We budget it for a loss." The purchased certificates are distributed by various social service agencies.
Lots of companies orchestrate food collections this time of the year, but none can match Hawaiian Electric Co., whose employees recently delivered truckloads of food to St. Patrick's and three other church distribution points.
Spokeswoman Jane Inouye said that in addition to the six pallets of food, employees donated $5,400 in cash for the Community Clearing House. A lot of good people here voluntarily put in their time. They have fun and people feel they're helping."
Many Oahu companies, clubs and churches are collecting food items to share with the needy during the holiday season. Some suggestions:
The Organization of Chinese Americans, Hawaii chapter, and Chinese Alliance Church will pick up nonperishable items left at Bank of Hawaii branches through Dec. 2, and at Hawaii National Bank branches through Dec. 19. Household items, clothing, toys, cash and gift certificates also are welcome. They will be distributed by the Community Clearing House and Child & Family Services. To arrange pickup, call Carol Miyamura at 949-2958.