GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
The staff of New Horizons Computer Learning Centers of Hawaii is helping a family living in a "way overcrowded home." Pictured are Jim Kidders, Brande Johnson, Jennifer Svestka, Terri Martinez, Nadine Chang, Vicky Pias and Patrick Torres.
Needy families getting
hanaied for holidaysCommunity Clearinghouse takes
money and gifts for distribution
United Airlines employees carried on the Christmas practice of helping the needy, although some of their fellow workers had been laid off.
"It's part of our tradition here, we're always doing something during the holidays. Even though we've been through recent tough times, we still felt a desire to have a community project," said Andrea Choo, a supervisor of UAL's On-board Services department.
New Horizons, a computer training company, "wanted to give back to the community and have a way to bring our team together -- our family is adopting a family," said General Manager Suzanne Bidigare.
Companies like United Airlines have been adopting families for years and started collections of money and gifts that will be taken to the Community Clearinghouse Dec. 19 for distribution to families, says Capsun Poe, program manager of Helping Hands Hawaii.
Single mothers raising several children make up most of the 90 or so families this year that need help in making Christmas a special time for their kids, Poe said.
The community usually provides the items requested, but there are still a lot of families who have not yet been claimed in the agency's seasonal Adopt-A-Family program, he said.
(Helping Hands manages the Community Clearinghouse, a warehouse of donated items for the needy, and the Good Neighbor Fund, co-sponsored by the Star-Bulletin.) To adopt a family, call 440-3804 for more information.
Choo said United's several departments used to work together to provide Christmas presents, but this year employees from two departments lost their jobs, so each of the remaining departments decided to do a community project individually, she said.
On-board Services, made up of flight attendants, has adopted a recently immigrated family from Samoa with five children and a single mom, who are living with relatives. The mother is working full-time and is just "thankful that they have shelter," she said. Two of the children have a disease of the joints, and she often has to take time off work to care for them.
A large table is on display in the front of their office (in a secured area for employees), holding large shopping bags for each child with his or her sex and age, and a list of items requested, she said. Stuffed toys and Barbie dolls have already been donated, but they still need clothes for school.
The flight attendants were also "very interested in getting things for Mom," but they weren't provided with her sizes or any requests from her, Choo said. When she asked Poe about this, he told her that "parents rarely put their desires down" but only want things for their children.
New Horizons, a company of 25 employees formed a year ago, is helping a family with two parents and six children, ages 2 to 15, living in a "way overcrowded home." The father is disabled and unable to work, and the mother works full-time as a caregiver. "Their goal is to make a better life for themselves," she said. The parents asked for a dresser, clothes and toys, but nothing for themselves, Bidigare added.
The company set up a Christmas tree in their lobby at the Ala Moana Pacific Center, and will put donated gifts under it as they come in. They are also collecting donations from customers, she added.
"Our whole staff is so thrilled about it ... helping one family have a merry Christmas," she said.
