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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, December 23, 2001

After Deadline
Tough times don't stop generosity

By John Simonds
Advertiser Reader Representative

The Advertiser Christmas Fund, an annual drive to help those in need, focuses on people hurting for donations of cash and goods. It's part of the spirit of holidays past that continues through good times and bad. This has been a tough year for Hawai'i, but also a generous one.

Though the format has changed over time, The Advertiser has helped lead efforts to assist the less fortunate for decades.

"Needy Will Be Made Happy With Toys, Food, Clothing And Jolly Theater Party," read a front-page headline of Dec. 22, 1929. The story told how (in another bad year), The Advertiser Christmas Stocking, a gift-gathering campaign, and benefit shows at the Hawaii and Princess theaters would raise money and entertain needy youngsters.

The "Christmas Stocking" approach, with its emphasis on toys, continued through the '30s, but by the World War II years, the drive had expanded to include adults. In 1943, The Advertiser published a series of articles describing older poor people and families as well as children, in cooperation with the former Honolulu Council of Social Agencies.

The Advertiser has worked with several private agencies over the years, including the Volunteer Information and Referral Service. More recently, Helping Hands Hawai'i and its Community Clearinghouse have helped The Advertiser, providing cases of individuals in need to help dramatize the holiday solicitation of money. Helping Hands/ Clearinghouse receives the money and provides The Advertiser with lists of donors. The Advertiser's annual Jingle Bell Run also contributes to the fund. First Hawaiian Bank receives checks for the fund.

"This year, The Advertiser went way beyond what's been done in the past," said Rod Ohira, veteran reporter who has been writing the daily appeal stories that appear in the newspaper. He's been assisted in the newsroom by senior editor Anne Harpham, who helps edit and coordinate the articles and accompanying donor lists.

Ohira interviewed the people whose stories have been reported.

Rod met face-to-face with 30 individuals in a series of half-hour interviews that helped form the basis for his articles. Some things he saw he will not soon forget, Ohira said. "You go to a house. There's a woman with two kids, she opens the refrigerator, there's nothing in it. Her 2-year-old is sucking on candy. That's food for the day." Privacy is a priority, and people's initials were used instead of names.

"Because of the personal touch applied this year, many people who've called said they felt compelled to donate personally to the people we featured," Ohira said.

When people call or e-mail The Advertiser with offers of help, they're referred to the Helping Hands/Community Clearinghouse people. Callers often want to deliver items directly to those publicized in need. Social workers have expedited the connection between givers and receivers. "I have the utmost respect for social workers, state and private," Ohira said. "I can't imagine how they can do this job day after day with compassion. I can't think of any group that deserves more respect than they do."

Helping Hands staff and volunteers have been busy keeping up with the response. The agency has had cutbacks of its own at a time when requests for help have increased. Louise Funai, Helping Hands Hawai'i president, said she has had seven full-timers, two temporary, two volunteer and two others in a pre-employment program working to handle the Christmas load. "The response has been overwhelming," Funai said. " ... We live in the State of Aloha. It's wonderful!"

Last year, the fund collected $105,000. As of Friday, donations this year have exceeded $92,700.

Reach John Simonds at jsimonds@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8033.