Make the giving season year-round
By Kelvin H. Taketa
The Giving Season is here. Last weekend, I spotted my first Christmas tree in an apartment-building foyer in Makiki. While television, newspapers, radio and the Internet will now provide heaps of gift ideas for loved ones and friends, it also is a time that will highlight our giving to help others who are less fortunate.
The levels of generosity and good will peak during this time, particularly in a community known for its generosity. A recent study by the Hawai'i Community Foundation showed that nine out of 10 households contribute to charity annually. And that makes Hawai'i the special place that we call home.
The sites and sounds of the season evoke memories of our earliest impressions of giving. In many ways, giving is a part of our DNA. It's the selfless act that imparts joy and satisfaction to the giver — like how it feels to watch someone open that special present that you picked out, or to help someone in a time of need. Not surprisingly, nearly 70 percent of Hawai'i residents report that they are motivated to give because it makes them "feel good inside," and to help "ease pain and suffering."
No matter what form it takes, giving defines us as individuals. It is what helps us to realize that our actions can lift the lives of others. In fact, a lot of giving in Hawai'i is informal — in the form of daily support of school projects, soccer leagues and cookie sales. Giving also translates into volunteering your time to help clean a beach, read to a child or bring meals to the homeless.
And giving back to the community doesn't always take traditional paths. There are outstanding examples right here at home:
• Honolulu businessman Jeff Zimmerman, who made a personal, lifelong commitment to give blood in honor of his late father and the many blood donors who helped prolong his father's life.
• Former public school administrators Richard and Pat Endsley, who put their retirement plans on hold to start a free after-school tutoring program for students in Lahaina, Maui.
• Windward O'ahu residents Harry and Donna Brown, who formed a support group with other parents of special-needs children after their son was diagnosed with severe cerebral palsy.
• Employees from the architectural firm Group 70, who combine their charitable gifts to donate to local nonprofit agencies that they believe will have the greatest impact.
In the end, the most important advantage of community giving is knowing that when we give of ourselves, we embrace a meaning larger than ourselves. The future of our Island community is up to all of us. By reflecting on how each of us can renew our civic efforts now during the holidays and throughout 2005, we can better share our resources and nurture our sense of responsibility for each other.
That goes beyond just the giving season. Winston Churchill was right: "We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."
Kelvin H. Taketa, president and CEO of the Hawai'i Community Foundation, wrote this article for The Advertiser. Reach him at ktaketa@hcf-hawaii.org.
