Lisa is 92 years young and lives with her daughter, who is her primary caregiver. She has a beautiful voice and enjoys singing songs — especially Hawaiian songs. Although Lisa suffers from Alzheimer’s, she makes every effort to engage in conversation and enjoys “talking story” with others.
Her daughter cares for Lisa as well as some of the grandchildren, so as a household their finances are very limited. Lisa’s fixed income barely covers some of her basic needs, including food and medications. Warm clothing and a jacket for Lisa, especially for the winter season, would be greatly appreciated.
Through Christmas Eve, The Garden Island will share daily, front-page stories about families (we don’t use their real names) facing challenges, and who would appreciate a little help.
The Christmas Fund is an avenue for everyone to provide that assistance. Donations are used by Zonta Club members to purchase gift certificates that are in turn distributed to families and individuals through social-service agencies.
Each donation is accounted for and recorded. There are no administrative costs involved, and money goes directly to provide for those in need of Christmas presents and groceries.
If you hold a fundraiser for the Christmas Fund, let us know and we’ll spread the word.
Anyone making a donation of $150 or more can have their picture published in TGI.
Donations may be made by way of the website, Zonta-Kauai.org, or checks can be made payable to The Zonta Club of Kaua‘i Foundation, P.O. Box 3032, Lihue, HI 96766.
• Brad Soma is a 77-year-old widower. Brad lives in his own home but has multiple health issues. Brad has two daughters. One of them is in a care facility with debilitating disabilities, and the other, who happens to be his primary caregiver, has some developmental challenges. Brad’s daughter, Candace, does the very best she can, but gets overwhelmed with the situation. Candace does have a job outside the home also, and her hours have been drastically reduced due to COVID-19. This holiday season will be pretty gloomy without some extra holiday cheer.
• Kalani, an 11-year-old female, and Kainoa, an 8-year-old male, are siblings. Both children have been sexually abused on different occasions by different offenders. They live with their parents, two teenage siblings and one adult sibling. This family has recently been evicted from their residence and their parents are currently unemployed. They are still seeking another place to live. Kalani is hoping to participate in gymnastics classes and Kainoa is hoping to participate in martial arts.
