There are many homeless children in Hawai’i, but being homeless shouldn’t mean growing up without opportunities for health, security, education, joy…. There’s one woman and one program located on the Big Island* that seems to go above and beyond in order to provide and make a difference and that’s Magin Patrick and The Christmas Wish Program. Her volunteer-based organization doesn’t just provide holiday gifts, meals and festivities for the Big Island’s homeless, poverty-stricken and abused keiki but they also provide life necessities, personal hygiene kits, food, clothing, emergency services, assistance to help families get off the streets, inspiring kids to stay in school, back to school supplies, a reading and tutoring program, teen mentoring…. As if that wasn’t enough work, in 2007 they introduced a 9 week summer camp, where teens from all over the US come to Hawai’i to mentor homeless keiki with a variety of activities and educational programs.
The Christmas Wish Program is now partnering nonprofit with the USDA Summer Nutrition Program. This program allows them to assure proper nutrition for the kids during summer camp and is a stipend they rely on to keep the project running. But a new policy means they need to show financial stability for their projected attendance and the USDA is now requiring them to have their funds before their application can be approved.
So last month Magin put a call out for some financial assistance to help them meet their goals for this year’s summer camp: to provide hot nutritious meals to 75 homeless and poverty-stricken keiki. The deadline is March 5th yet when I got a second email plea I went on their site and saw out of the $12,112 needed, they’d only raised $267 ($60 being from myself and a company I work for). Times are tough and we all feel it, but they’re still looking for people who can help by covering one child’s healthy, hot breakfast, lunch and dinner for a day – just $8.50! All their staff is on a volunteer basis, which allows 100% of all the donations to help the homeless (and they are tax deductible).
It only takes a minute. If can, please kokua!
Christmas Wish Summer Nutrition Program (First Giving)
For more info:
Magin Patrick, Executive Director, Christmas Wish Program, Inc. & Project Hawai’i, P.O. Box 1844, Kea’au, HI 96749 • (808) 982-8128 or cell (808)987-6018 • HelpingHands@ChristmasWishProgram.org
Volunteer Hawai’i: Christmas Wish Program
Volunteer Hawai’i: Teen Mentoring Program
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