Posted on: Monday, December 27, 2004

EDITORIAL
Keep donations for the needy coming

It will be a glorious day when the River of Life Mission at the edge of Chinatown opens its doors and there's no one waiting in line for a meal.

And it will be equally splendid when the Institute for Human Services doesn't have to turn away a single homeless person and has beds to spare.

We can't wait until the Hawai'i Foodbank and the Advertiser Christmas Fund close for business permanently due to a lack of clientele.

But that day hasn't yet arrived. On the contrary, the needs out in the community show no sign of abating. So keep the donations coming. Don't bah-humbug your way through the season of sharing if you can afford to give.

Why? Because being elderly or a child in the Aloha State no longer guarantees food and shelter, and neither does having a job.

You can see the working poor living out of their cars, if they're lucky enough to have one. You can see entire families living in makeshift shacks along the beaches in Wai'anae. You can see homeless folks huddled in doorways and bus shelters around town.

And although Christmas has passed, the need remains. If you can't give goods or money, give your time. Check out Aloha United Way's list of volunteer opportunities, published weekly in the Advertiser, or visit www.volunteer hawaii.org.

To donate to the Advertiser Christmas Fund (which continues to accept contributions), send checks to Helping Hands Hawai'i, P.O. Box 17780, Honolulu, HI 96817. Donations can also be dropped off at any First Hawaiian Bank. Goods can be donated at the Community Clearinghouse, 2100 N. Nimitz Highway. For details, call 440-3804.

And you can help feed Hawai'i's hungry by taking advantage of programs at grocery store check-out stands or by donating cans of fruit and vegetables at any Jamba Juice store. Donations also can be made at the Hawai'i Foodbank, 2611 Kilihau St. Information: 836-3600 or see www.hawaiifoodbank.org.