HAWAI'I NONPROFITS
Rewards come from giving throughout year
By Kelvin H. Taketa
The holiday season is upon us. It is a time when we have fretted over gifts for our friends and families and when we are reminded to think about those who need our help. It is a time for giving and sharing, when the rewards of giving are etched in the faces of our children and in our souls.
But in this giving season, we shouldn't forget that throughout the year people take large and small steps each day to make their lives and their community better: the single parent going back to school who needs assistance with childcare; the nonprofit executive who leaves a high-paying corporate job to pursue a calling, the donor who contributes a few dollars each year so that one day he can provide a scholarship, just as he received one in the past; the retiree who takes the initiative to find a way to mentor a child; and the neighbor next door who volunteers countless hours to work on community development plans or to serve as a little league coach.
Even through tough times, the people of Hawai'i continue to be generous. In 2001, 92 percent of all households in the state made a charitable contribution (up from 88 percent in 1998). Of those households, most gave of their time as well as their resources.
When asked why they give, more than 80 percent of island residents mentioned three reasons: to feel good inside, to ease pain and suffering and to support an organization that is best-suited for the job. These reasons bring to mind the phrase coined by our friends at the Peninsula Community Foundation in California — "Warning: Philanthropy is habit-forming, contagious, and good for your heart."
As we look ahead to 2003, the concerns we share about the future of Hawai'i will be answered by these everyday heroes and our collective ability to support and encourage more of them. Through their creativity and resourcefulness, we discover ways to lift our communities. Through their dedication, we are inspired to give and share more of ourselves.
One who is truly inspiring is Karen White. She is many things: social worker, volunteer, philanthropist, advocate, world traveler, and matriarch to a close and highly accomplished family. Hers is a life lived through community service and a legacy for her four grown children, 13 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
During the years when her children were growing up, the Whites made room in their home for 14 unwed mothers awaiting the birth of their babies. Once her own children were older, Karen pursued her early dream of becoming a social worker and chose to work at Family Court with kids who had serious drug problems or were committed to the youth correctional facility. As probation officer for 20 years, she believed in these youngsters when no one else did, and many have never forgotten her as a result.
Still tirelessly advocating for young people who might have set off on the wrong track, Karen and her husband, Robert, established a scholarship fund, Ho'omaka Hou (a new beginning), to help young Hawaiians start over by pursuing their education. Her passion for giving back is matched by a strong sense of humility, leading Karen to describe her 60-year commitment to the community as "no big deal."
She believes, as I do, that in giving, the biggest rewards go to the giver. When we give of ourselves, we embrace a meaning larger than ourselves. It is part of what defines us as individuals and as a community, and helps us realize that we all can make a difference.
Kelvin H. Taketa is president and chief executive officer of the Hawai'i Community Foundation, a statewide, charitable services and grant-making institution endowed with contributions from many donors.
