LIHUE — Through Christmas Eve, The Garden Island will share daily, front-page stories about families and individuals (we don’t use their real names), who are facing challenges and would appreciate a little help this holiday season.
The Christmas Fund is an avenue for everyone to provide that assistance. Donations are used by Zonta Club members to purchase gift certificates that are in turn distributed to families and individuals through social-service agencies.
The following are some stories we would like to share with our readers.
• Jane is a single mother of four children, ages 17, 14, 7 and 1. Jane works full-time and gets help from her parents in caring for the younger children. The family enjoys going to the beach and collecting shells to make shell lei.
• Joe lives in an apartment that he rents after being homeless for years. Joe is slowly acclimating to being housed again. Joe likes to fish and also helps out his complex by gardening.
• Sally is a single mother of four daughters, ages 19, 18, 15 and 11. The eldest child is going to community college, two are in high school and the youngest is in elementary school. Sally works full-time but the family is living paycheck to paycheck.
• June is a senior citizen living on a fixed income. She lives in senior housing. June enjoys sewing and getting together with her grandchildren.
• Betty and her husband, John, have five children: three sons, ages 11, 5 and 2, and two daughters, ages 12 and 10. John works full-time and Betty has to stay home to watch their youngest. With only one income the family struggles to get by financially. When they can the family loves to go to the beach.
Each donation is accounted for and recorded. There are no administrative costs involved, and money goes directly to provide for those in need of Christmas presents and groceries.
If you hold a fundraiser for the Christmas Fund, let us know and we’ll spread the word. Anyone making a donation of $200 or more can have their picture published in TGI.
Also, for every $250 donation given to the Christmas Fund, Hale Uluwehi Charitable Foundation will match up to $5,000.
Donations may be made by way of the website, Zonta-Kauai.org, or checks can be made payable to The Zonta Club of Kauai Foundation, P.O. Box 3032, Lihue, HI 96766.
