LIHU‘E — Grace Domingo Delos Reyes was impressed Friday when John John Genovese of Malama Auctions brought enough gift certificates for each of the 360 frontline workers being appreciated during the Kaua‘i Retired and Senior Volunteer Program National Day of Service project.
“That’s not all he did,” Domingo Delos Reyes said. “He threw in more than three dozen additional certificates for the Kaua‘i RSVP staff and volunteers.”
Friday marked the first of three collection days when contributors can donate to the project on a drive-thru, no-contact contributions basis. Kaua‘i RSVP volunteers will accept contributions at the Lihu‘e Civic Center Pi‘ikoi Building drive-thru area.
Additional collection days are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 8 and 9, and contributors can call 241-4479 to schedule an appointment for the drive-thru.
The Kaua‘i RSVP Advisory Council plans to honor frontline workers at hospitals on Kaua‘i as a Sept. 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance project.
“We are honoring about 360 Kaua‘i frontline workers on Sept. 16 and 17 for a National Day of Service and Remembrance,” Domingo Delos Reyes said.
“We want to show our frontline workers that we appreciate their vital role in the current state of pandemic. We want to show our appreciation through gift-giving, and what a better way than to create care packages for our first responders to show them that we care.”
Some of the suggested items needed for the care packages include gift cards, discount certificates for up to $25 or a percentage off of retail value, healthy snacks for about 360 frontline workers, logo items from businesses, hand sanitizers, wipes, masks, alcohol sprays or cash donations to be used to purchase essential items.
“I have to go to work,” said Jennifer Ihara-Takase, who stopped off with a load of healthy snack items and gift cards. “But this is something I wanted to do. I just told the workplace, ‘I gotta do this.’”
The Sept. 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, or 9/11 Day, is a federally recognized national day of service. It takes place on or around the anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
The day of service is a way to pay tribute to the victims of the attacks and honor the remarkable community response that followed, Americans working together to find meaning in a day of tragedy by redefining it as a celebration of hope and kindness.
The Kaua‘i RSVP started in 1973 under the sponsorship of the County of Kaua‘i Agency on Elderly Affairs. Kaua‘i RSVP provides volunteer opportunities for persons 55 years and older to remain active, contributing members of the community.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
