Holiday dinner for poor needs your help

By Mike Gordon
Advertiser Staff Writer

People who know Sharon Black know her desire to feed Honolulu's homeless gets a panicky jolt of adrenaline around Thanksgiving as she cobbles together donations for her annual community potluck dinner. But she's never struggled this much.

Instead of having everything ready to go this year, as she has nearly every November since 1988, Black is scrambling to find enough food.

She needs seven more turkeys and seven more hams, cooked, sliced and ready to serve. She needs tables and chairs ÷ enough for nearly 500 people ÷ and dessert.

"We have no pies, not one," Black said. "I have no gravy. No stuffing. I have some rice. I have some of the rolls."

Black's Kau Kau Wagon program, which regularly provides lunch to the homeless each Saturday, is a community fixture in Chinatown. When she calls people at this time of year, they know what she wants.

What makes it tough, is that donors have to prepare the meals themselves. Black doesn't have a big enough kitchen, although she is planning to cook two hams and two turkeys. In previous years, she has organized a loose-knit network of cooks who come together to feed those less fortunate than themselves.

"I am calling everybody I know," said Black, who also works as the Honolulu Police Department's outreach worker for the homeless.

"Last year we had most of it by this time," she said. "This year it has been a lot harder. A lot harder. And I have made a lot of calls."

She doesn't know what the problem is. Maybe it's "a budget thing." But even people who normally donate clothing ÷ a side benefit of the hot, holiday meal ÷ haven't come through.

"I've had no offers of donations for clothes this year," she said. "I went through my closet three times."

As in years past, police department personnel and their union representatives plan to help serve the meal. Black enlisted the aid of Deputy Chief Paul Putzulu, who said he'll rally the officers to do more than just serve.

"We will spread the word for whatever the officers can do," Putzulu said. "A lot of this she has been doing on her own and asking for a little help here and there."

If it doesn't come together, Black said she will not be disappointed. She vowed not to think negative thoughts.

"Whatever we got, we will bring," she said. "It's better than nothing. It's better than someone having to dig through the trash for food."

Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8012.

How to help

If you have donations, phone 398-6665.

The Kau Kau Wagon Thanksgiving dinner, which is held on the Saturday after the holiday, will start at 11 a.m. at Gateway Park at Bethel and Hotel streets.