LIHU‘E — Myrvie Buster of Garden Island Federal Credit Union wanted to ensure that isle public-school Parent Community Networking Center coordinators were not forgotten last Friday when she presented 16 gift cards valued at $100 each to Judy Cano, representing the PCNCs from the 15 state Department of Education schools on the island.
LIHU‘E — Myrvie Buster of Garden Island Federal Credit Union wanted to ensure that isle public-school Parent Community Networking Center coordinators were not forgotten last Friday when she presented 16 gift cards valued at $100 each to Judy Cano, representing the PCNCs from the 15 state Department of Education schools on the island.
“This is not for the teachers,” Buster said. “This is for the children. There are 16 cards, one for each of the 15 schools, and one for the central office. These are for the PCNCs to use when they are approached with problems being faced by the school’s students.”
Buster said the Back to School Bash planning committee was scheduled to provide gift cards to PCNCs during last year’s event.
But the unprecedented need for school supplies — the Back to School Bash Committee distributed more than 3,000 packages to students just before school started — meant the committee focuses initially on the students.
While the PCNCs were temporarily overlooked, Buster made sure it wasn’t a permanent oversight. She asked GIFCU to dig deep to make sure the PCNCs got what they needed.
Cano said PCNC needs vary based on individual school student needs.
“We have families who work but still don’t make enough to afford rent,” Cano said. “They live in their cars, so you can imagine the kind of needs they have. PCNCs do a lot to alleviate those and other student needs so the student can focus on learning and fitting in.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
