Abigail has been a victim of abuse for many years.
“I have five wonderful children with the same guy,” she said. “I have recently left him and am seeking counseling and help. I don’t have anything except my existence and my children.”
Abigail is hoping she will be able to give her children something for the holidays. They are in need of clothing and shoes and some school supplies.
“I intend to keep my children in school no matter what,” she said. “I thank you for your time.”
Carlee and Jacob are the parents of two boys, John and Fred. Carlee is unemployed but recently finished her medical assistant program. Her husband is the main source of income and works for his parent. Though the family lives in low-income housing they do not receive HUD or cash assistance, so they struggle with bills. A little extra this holiday season would go a long way for this family.
The Garden Island/Zonta Christmas Fund, which is supported by the community, helps people in need.
Families apply for assistance through social service agencies, which in turn connect with the Zonta Club of Kauai. It uses donations to buy gift certificates for those in need. The certificates can be used for gifts and groceries.
The Garden Island shares daily stories about those who could use assistance this holiday season. While the names are not real, the situations described are. Hundreds of keiki and kupuna benefit from the fund.
Each donated dollar is accounted for and carefully recorded. There are no administrators collecting salaries.
New this year, the Hale Uluwehi Kauai Fund announced that it will provide a dollar-for-dollar match for donations of $100 or greater. It will match the total up to $5,000 and, if there’s great success, will consider adjusting that figure higher.
Only monetary donations are accepted. Checks, payable to Zonta Club of Kauai Foundation, can be mailed to P.O. Box 3032, Lihue, HI 96766. For more information, call 822-4517.
