By Lee Cataluna
Advertiser Columnist

Three years ago, Elizabeth Kent had an idea. She thinks possibly it came to her as she passed by the cosmetics counter of a department store. "I love those Clinique and Lancôme specials: You get five things but only two of them are the right color and you don't need another little pursey-thing," she said.

She started to think about who might be able to make use of the unused cosmetics and toiletries.

That idea grew into a project for the Hawai'i Women Lawyers. Three years ago, the organization put out a call to law offices to collect toiletries and cosmetics to give to womens' shelters on the island.

Each year, the donations have grown. Each year, Kent finds more agencies who could use the products, which the Hawai'i Women Lawyers assembles into pretty gift bags or baskets.

"With Elizabeth, you don't double your effort. It's exponential," said Karen Char, who gave over most of her home to store the products during the collecting and wrapping phases of the project. "The first year, we had 100 (gift bags). Last year we had 250, and I'm just afraid of the number she'll come up with next year because it's going to take up my whole yard, too!"

For four weekends, volunteers gathered at Char's house to sort and wrap the donations into goody bags, sometimes using the "little pursey things" that come with department store cosmetic purchases, sometimes using cellophane bags decorated with flowers.

This year, the number of gift bags was around 700. The gifts were delivered to the Friends of Foster Children, Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline, 'Ohana Olu Women in Transition and to homeless families in Wai'anae. The gift bags were given to children with the idea that they could in turn give them to their moms on Mother's Day.

"That was really the beauty of it," Kent said. "You're giving something to someone, but it's for them to give the gift further."

In addition to the gift collections, the Hawai'i Women Lawyers gathered boxes of grooming staples, like soap and shampoo and feminine products, which they gave to a women's shelter.

Though the idea was for kids to have something special to give on Mother's Day, Kent said she has no way of knowing if that's what happened this weekend. But that's OK with her.

"Some of them probably got given out ahead of time," she said. "I think some got given at Easter. ... For all I know, nobody got it on Mother's Day. But the way we were approaching it, you give a gift to someone to give as a gift and you're not going to put conditions on it."

Though Char jokes about bracing for next year's onslaught now that so many know about the project, she said, "We're pleased to do it and we'll take donations from anyone for next year."

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.