Local charities still counting on kokua

By Christie Wilson
Advertiser Staff Writer

Honolulu insurance agent Danny Tengan was on Maui for business when he heard the stunning news that hijacked airliners had crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Danny Tengan, one of many new volunteers at the American Red Cross, helped out in Wailuku, Maui, after the Sept. 11 attacks. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

"I walked in the door and said, 'Here I am. Do you need any help?' "

Tengan, 55, spent the next four hours answering phones.

Although he had received some preliminary Red Cross training before Sept. 11, Tengan said the events of that day solidified his commitment.

He has since become a full-fledged Red Cross volunteer, working 15 to 20 hours a week as part of a disaster action team that assists victims of fires, floods and other tragedies, and lending a hand at the nonprofit agency's Honolulu office.

"I wanted to do something to give back for everything we've taken for granted," Tengan said. "I wanted to do my part."

The roster of Red Cross volunteers in Hawai'i has grown from 3,100 to 3,800 in the year since Sept. 11. Like Tengan, many were motivated by a strengthened sense of civic duty following the terrorist attacks, said Red Cross spokeswoman Jocelyn Collado.

Along with volunteers who wanted to work in areas such as victim assistance, crisis counseling or shelter staffing, there were others who offered their skills in public relations, data entry and other support jobs.

The agency also collected $2 million in donations earmarked for disaster relief efforts in New York.

Although the focus was on Mainland events, Sept. 11 had the effect of bringing more attention to the need to respond to everyday disasters in Hawai'i such as fires and floods, Collado said.

With more trained volunteers available and heightened awareness, the Islands are more prepared for the unexpected, she said.

The story is different for the Blood Bank of Hawai'i. The surge of community support that led hundreds to mob the agency's Dillingham Boulevard center to give blood for attack victims was not sustained.

Sept. 11 through Sept. 14, 1,599 people donated blood — twice the usual number. The Blood Bank sent follow-up letters to the first-time blood-givers, but only a small handful have become regular donors, said nursing director Janet Sampaga.

"It's human nature to respond based on the emotions of the situation, and to sustain a response like that is always a challenge," she said. "Every single day people in Hawai'i experience personal tragedies where blood may be needed, and it's these personal tragedies that we need people to respond to."

The Blood Bank relies on a core of loyal donors, many of whom belong to the World War II generation that was instilled with sense of a civic responsibility, Sampaga said. Others have personal motives, such as an ill family member or friend who needs blood.

"For the people who came one time and never came back, at least they were exposed to the process and we hope that at some point they'll return," she said.

The Blood Bank is planning a couple of Sept. 11 anniversary campaigns to attract donors, including passing out patriotic lapel pins to those who give blood between Sept. 9 and Sept. 14.

With their annual pledge campaign that kicked off Tuesday, it's wait-and-see for officials at the Aloha United Way, which funnels money to 64 nonprofit member agencies on O'ahu.

Despite initial fears last year that monetary donations for local nonprofit groups would be diverted to Sept. 11 relief efforts, the tragedy may have had the effect of boosting charitable contributions across-the-board, said AUW spokeswoman Trudie China.

"It had a positive effect on the community in terms of pulling people together and making them aware that we're all in this together and of giving back to the community," she said.

With the terrorist attacks occurring in the middle of last year's AUW campaign, the organization held a press conference to remind the public of needs at home that were likely to grow.

In the end, AUW exceeded its goal and raised $14.3 million.

This year, there are worries that the state's post-Sept. 11 economic troubles, particularly in the tourism industry, will affect giving.

AUW President Irving Lauber said it's too early to tell how this year's campaign is going to shape up, but he's optimistic the group will meet its $13.2 million goal.

"I can't prove it, but instinct tells me that some of the generosity and goodwill that people displayed after Sept. 11 is going to carry over this year," he said. "There are a lot of memorials being planned, and I suspect it will be in people's minds and hearts."

Lauber said the nonprofit groups that receive AUW money are experiencing greater demand for services, also because of Sept. 11.

"There are needs that arose out of the impact of Sept. 11 and we haven't gotten away from all of them yet," he said. "Take (1992's Hurricane) 'Iniki — there are still cases being followed on Kaua'i today. This stuff doesn't just recover real quickly. People are still impacted by the fact that there are not enough tourists, and that's a reality we have to face."

Brian Schatz, head of Helping Hands Hawai'i, said people made an immediate connection between the terrorist attacks and the impact on hotel workers and others. The response was an increase in goods donated to the group's Community Clearinghouse operation and a 10 percent rise in volunteers that has remained steady.

The clearinghouse connects individuals and families in need of the basic living necessities with donated clothing, furniture, appliances and other household items at no cost.

"Hawai'i is known to be very generous. But our needs continue to grow since the tough economy," said Schatz, a legislator who represents Makiki, Tantalus and Manoa in the state House.

Requests for help have grown 7 percent over the past year, he said.

The Hawai'i Community Foundation received a little more than $1 million for a Sept. 11 fund set up to accept money for its sister organization in New York, said donor services officer Lynn Haff.

Ninety percent of the money went directly to New York, and 10 percent was reserved for Hawai'i residents directly affected by the attacks.

Twelve local families received money from the fund to cover travel, funeral and other expenses, Haff said. Some of that money remains in reserve, she said.

Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 244-4880.