Newspaper
Christmas fund
raises $12,356

The Star-Bulletin and
Helping Hands Hawaii
see more donated goods

Many items on the Christmas wish lists of needy families were filled by way of the Star-Bulletin's Good Neighbor Fund and the Community Clearinghouse.

"It was a really good year for us," said Capsun Poe, a manager of the clearinghouse program. In addition to monetary donations, "there was a good response from the public" in donating used items.

Every year the Star-Bulletin works with the clearinghouse, a branch of Helping Hands Hawaii, to raise funds and collect donated goods for low-income families.

As of the second week of January, the total amount of donations collected in the 2004 Christmas drive amounted to $12,356, compared with about $16,000 by February in the previous year's campaign.

Checks and donated items are still trickling in, Poe said. With the funds, the clearinghouse has been able to help several hundred people, he said.

In the 2004 drive, more people donated "stuff" instead of cash than the year before, Poe said. That worked out well because families are generally "much more appreciative" of items they can use right away, he added.

Poe noted that store gift certificates were provided to families when requested items were not at hand, he added.

Because so many items were donated, the clearinghouse didn't have to purchase as many things. Some of the money was used for beds, one of the most requested of items, but much of it went to gift certificates, he said.

"We always make sure a family has at least some of their requests met," he said. The items or gift certificates were given by the clearinghouse to the family case workers at least three or four days before Christmas to make sure they had plenty of time to get them to the families, Poe said.

"None of the money goes to Helping Hands Hawaii's operating expenses. The entire Good Neighbor Fund is earmarked for direct client assistance. However, we do charge off any postage, copy and other fees necessary for the operation of the fund, although none of it goes to pay our staff," he said.

Any leftover money is set aside for the emergency assistance fund, which helps pay for year-round expenses such as rent, utilities, gas, bus vouchers, diapers, and food from the Hawaii Foodbank, Poe said.

The Community Clearinghouse is at 2100 N. Nimitz Highway, off Puuhale Place. For more information, call 536-7234.

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Helping Hands Hawaii

Good Neighbor Fund Donations, Jan. 7

Roy & Sakae Ogawa	$40
In Loving Memory of Scott A. Nihei	$50
Alma I. Kidoguchi	$100
Tsutomu & Toyono Oi	$100
In memory of R, Grandma & Grandpa	$200
R.A. & Lorinda S. Waltz	$300
Russell S. Kato & Charleen M. Aina	$400
In Memory of Shige	$20
George S. & Yoshiko Yamamoto	$25
Vernon K. M. & Eunice B. S. Ching	$45
Craig S. Gima	$50
In Memory of Leilani Chung	$50
Nancy M. Bannick	$100
In memory of Mr. Steven Ishida	$100
In Memory of Paul N. Morihara	$100
Susan K. & Albert T. Keliikuloa	$100
Jeffrey E. J. & Ina M. Lee	$100
Richard Y. Wada, Attorney at Law	$50
L & C Medeiros	$20
From a song "Little Things Means a Lot" From XX	$22
William M. Lane Jr.	$25
Glenn Sato	$29
Burt & Doris Yoneshige	$50
Gloria Huber	$100
Waltraut & Arthur Mori	$100
Carolyn Whitney	$100
Charles E. & Chieko Laberge	$10
Kyle K. & Wynnette A.B. Spillner	$20
Susanne Mary Lunsford	$20
Alexander O. & Gloria G. Garcia	$20
Mariano & Jane A. Baliares	$20
Rodel Calumpit	$20
Irwin W.C. & Gladys L. Thom	$20
Cassandra L.M. & Alton C.M. Lorico	$25
Lewis M. Musgrave	$25
Brenda L. Cipriano	$25
From: Kenton, Karynn & Kallen	$30
In Memory of Eli Schmidt	$50
Keiko L. & Lance N. Tatsumi	$50
John A. & Jeanette M. Hoag	$50
Wendy Ganiko	$50
Francesca K. Adams	$50
Boy Scouts - Troop 113	$125
Hawaii Escrow & Title, Inc.	$250
From: Alvin & Karen	$500
Michelle Matsuoka	$25
Jefferson, Justin & Jade Young	$30
Ignacio A. Lobos	$35
In Loving Memory of Roy Sunao Nakayama and his two brothers, Uncle Tom & Uncle Jack	$100
Betty J. S. & Robert J. Perez	$145
Anonymous	$712
Total donations today: $4,071
Grand total donations to date: $12,178