LIHU‘E — The Zonta Club of Kaua‘i Foundation Christmas Fund is still accepting contributions online at the Zonta-Kaua‘i.org website or by mailing checks to P.O. Box 3032, Lihu‘e, Hawai‘i 96766.
LIHU‘E — The Zonta Club of Kaua‘i Foundation Christmas Fund is still accepting contributions online at the Zonta-Kaua‘i.org website or by mailing checks to P.O. Box 3032, Lihu‘e, Hawai‘i 96766.
The Christmas Fund, a partnership between the Zonta Club of Kaua‘i Foundation and the Garden Island Newspaper, celebrated The Christmas Fund’s 33rd year when presents were delivered to clients before Christmas.
Cyndi Ayonon, the The Christmas Fund chair, said the foundation received more than $60,000 with more contributions still arriving.
The Christmas Fund for 2023 is shared between seven nonprofit agencies, who are Zonta Club elves and do the shopping for gifts, wrapping the presents, and delivering them to the individual families and individuals.
“I remember when we first started,” said Zonta Club member Marge Akana, who is the vice chair of the Christmas Fund. “We used to go out and shop for everything ourselves. And then, we bought the wrapping materials from our own pockets.”
Since that start 33 years ago, Zonta Club of Kaua‘i has partnered with the nonprofit agencies like the Kaua‘i Economic Opportunity, Department of Health, YWCA of Kaua‘i, the county’s Agency on Elderly Affairs, Catholic Charities, Department of Human Services Child and Family Service and Women In Need, which serve as Zonta Elves in making Christmas a little brighter for people.
“The club has been getting several pieces of mail from gift recipients expressing how grateful and appreciative they are about their gifts,” Akana said. “Many of the messages are so heartwarming.”
