Seventeen young keiki who might otherwise not have had gifts for Christmas were surprised yesterday. The students, part of the Head Start program at the former Immaculate Conception School location in Lihu‘e, had their morning story hour interrupted when a
Seventeen young keiki who might otherwise not have had gifts for Christmas were surprised yesterday.
The students, part of the Head Start program at the former Immaculate Conception School location in Lihu‘e, had their morning story hour interrupted when a shiny black pickup rolled up to the school’s fence.
Corey Dobashi of 101 Financial got the help of his wife Debra and Lynnette Medrano-Stine of Catholic Charities Hawai‘i in unloading armloads of presents destined for the children in the pre-school.
“The teacher said Christmas was a victim of budget cuts,” Medrano-Stine said. “She was originally planning to buy gifts for all the students, but that was stymied when budget cuts killed the idea.”
But Corey, after hearing the plight from his wife Debra who sits on the Catholic Charities board, came through with enough gifts for all of the students — even the newest one who just started two days ago.
Corey was not the image of Santa, dressed in his smart white shirt and neat slacks, but the children didn’t mind as smiles lit up their faces when he called each one up by name to receive their special presents.
Anxious to dig through the wrapping, Head Start teacher Francine Corona told students the presents would go under the Christmas tree until the day came when they would be able to open everything together.
Already tiny bags of snacks with each child’s name covered the stand to the brightly lit tree adorned by decorations created by the students.
The presents would join this neat lineup after each child had time to spend with their gift while treating their benefactor to Christmas carols.
Medrano-Stine, coming off a special project by the Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club, Friday, where more than 50 stockings and 20 gift baskets for needy children were presented, said Corey’s distribution of presents was just part of the more than 300 families who applied for help during this holiday season.
This is up from the 90 who applied last year, she said.
Medrano-Stine added that Corey joins the Marriott’s Waiohai in being one of several community partners who stepped to the plate to enable Kaua‘i’s keiki and families to have a brighter holiday season.
She said they have more distributions scheduled before Christmas comes, and is hopeful that Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho is able to join them on the next distribution which will benefit students at the King Kaumuali‘i Elementary School.
Catholic Charities Hawai‘i provides services to more than 40,000 people in need each year, a flier states.
The organization, formed in 1947, offers to help people of all faiths and cultures through programs that focus on those with the greatest need and has developed a reputation for being trusted in the community for its innovative and professional approach to human services.
The Community Assistance Program was established in 1997 to assist families and individuals who need help improving or meeting their housing needs and includes limited basic material needs assistance such as food and clothing when available.
In addition to Debra, the Catholic Charities Hawai‘i Kaua‘i advisory board includes George Freitas, Max Graham, Linda Lopaka, Douglas Nielsen, Anthony Pedroni, Wallace Rezentes Jr., Rev. William Shannon, Mel Ventura, Rev. Edgar Villanueva and David Waldron.
For more information, visit its Web site at www.CatholicCharitiesHawaii.org or call them at 241-4673.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com
