LIHUE — The feeling of not having the proper supplies when school opens is not a good one, said Sharon Lasker, chairwoman of the Guilda Backpack Brigade. “I was there,” Lasker said. “It’s not a good feeling, knowing that you
LIHUE — The feeling of not having the proper supplies when school opens is not a good one, said Sharon Lasker, chairwoman of the Guilda Backpack Brigade.
“I was there,” Lasker said. “It’s not a good feeling, knowing that you might not even have a pencil when school starts.”
Novelyn Hinazumi, the Kauai director of services for Child and Family Services, agrees.
“A lot of the Guildas grew up not having enough,” Lasker said. “It’s a bad feeling, and at the start of a new school year?”
The Guildas, a volunteer arm of CFS, are currently looking for sponsors for 37 students in need of backpack and supplies for school, which starts in August.
“Last year, we serviced 139 students,” Lasker said. “This year, we are at 189 students and hope to break 200.”
Hinazumi said the list of students are culled from case workers who work with client families from the field, or through the family centers such as Nana’s House and Hale Hoomalu.
“These are the children with the highest needs,” Hinazumi said. “In many cases, the families are struggling and on the threshold of being homeless.”
Lasker said people can help these students return to school with supplies by either sponsoring a backpack, monetary contributions, or even by dropping off extras from their own back-to-school shopping.
“Monetary contributions are used to help students get shoes, school uniforms, and other school needs,” Hinazumi said.
Sponsors receive the name of a student and the list of supplies the student needs for the coming school year.
The sponsor then shops for the student and drops off the completed backpack to the CFS office at 2970 Kele Street, Suite 203, or more commonly known as the Lihue Plantation Building.
Monetary contributions can be made by mailing a check to Sharon Lasker, P.O. Bo 531, Kalaheo, HI 96741.
Lasker said the Guildas were formed by three women, Carole Kahn, Kathy Richardson, and Micki Evslin in 2003, who wanted to do more for the Child and Family Services.
Info: Lasker at 652-6534.
