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Aloha from The Big Island Giving Tree! This year has been particularly challenging for everyone. We pray that your family and loved ones are healthy and safe during this risky time. Regardless of the pandemic and so many folks being unemployed, this is still the season where we lean on our community to support us in accomplishing our holiday goals. We appreciate your previous donations and ask you to consider helping us again this year, maybe even more than ever. This year will look much different as we have more people in need than ever before. We couldn’t do what we do without your support, so mahalo Nui loa!
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What Have We Been Up To?
BIGT has brought fresh food boxes to rural communities. All items purchased for those boxes were bought from local producers to support our local farmers, ranchers and businesses. We scheduled all of our distributions around the Food Basket schedule each month. Those rural communities who weren't on the Food Basket schedule each month were the communities we concentrated on and distributed fresh food boxes. We set up a drive thru area for just about an hour and a half before all the boxes were gone. Vehicles would line up for over an hour before the drive thru opened, an average of 200-250 boxes were given at each site.
We purchased a large 15 passenger cargo van, this van has been a tremendous help transporting secured loads of goods islandwide with protection from the weather. Each month we continue to do clean clothing, houseware and basic need item outreaches in Pahoa village as well as Oceanview. When numbers started to rise again, we needed to halt all of our outreaches.
As the school year approached we knew that the hard working families who never stopped working would need help with purchasing school supplies for their children. The working class didn't receive any additional weekly assistance unlike the unemployed. BIGT received referrals from trusted community partners and agencies to identify the working families who then filled out a form to verify employment. Once those families were verified and confirmed, we asked for the students' school supply list. Myself and one other volunteer headed to the stores to search for the best deals, bought all the supplies and new backpacks for 109 students. A handful of volunteers prepared and packed each backpack with the supplies each student needed. Then the backpacks were delivered to the students and their parents. 109 Students were able to start the school year in person with confidence, excitement and were eager to learn!
Most recently at the beginning of August our team of 4 volunteers fed all of the first responders, volunteers, road crews, and machine operators who fought the huge blaze that threatened so many homes, ranches, businesses in the Waimea area. We fed them 3 hearty meals a day with snacks, and beverages to keep them hydrated. With the help of great local businesses island wide, we purchased as well as received donated items to provide over 200 meals at each mealtime. Each fire zone was delivered the amount of meals they needed to feed their crew. Before the end of the night we prepared 60 sandwiches that would be picked up the following morning at 5:45am for Parker Ranch cowboys. They traveled a good 2-2 1/2 hours to get to their zone where they needed to keep fighting the fire and hot spots. This area was not accessible to our volunteers to deliver them meals.
Now we are gearing up for our Christmas season. This will be our 12th year of delivering on Christmas morning a hot turkey meal with all the fixings to over 550 Kupuna who live in senior housing complexes from Honoka'a, Kohala, Waimea, Kona, Kealakekua and Captain Cook. The houseless as well as hospice patients on the west side of the island. We will also deliver blessing bags with non perishable foods, snacks and basic need items.
COVID restrictions are still in place here in Hawaii and will again prevent us from having the Waimea Twilight Christmas Parade. So, this year the parade will be a drive thru parade where local truckers will decorate their trucks and line up along Ala Ohia Road. Residents will be able to drive through Ala Ohia to view all of the trucks on display. Each parade entry is encouraged to donate to The Big Island Giving Tree monetarily or with gift cards to COSTCO, KTA, Foodland, or local gas stations. All proceeds will help us to accomplish our Christmas outreach efforts.
We purchased a large 15 passenger cargo van, this van has been a tremendous help transporting secured loads of goods islandwide with protection from the weather. Each month we continue to do clean clothing, houseware and basic need item outreaches in Pahoa village as well as Oceanview. When numbers started to rise again, we needed to halt all of our outreaches.
As the school year approached we knew that the hard working families who never stopped working would need help with purchasing school supplies for their children. The working class didn't receive any additional weekly assistance unlike the unemployed. BIGT received referrals from trusted community partners and agencies to identify the working families who then filled out a form to verify employment. Once those families were verified and confirmed, we asked for the students' school supply list. Myself and one other volunteer headed to the stores to search for the best deals, bought all the supplies and new backpacks for 109 students. A handful of volunteers prepared and packed each backpack with the supplies each student needed. Then the backpacks were delivered to the students and their parents. 109 Students were able to start the school year in person with confidence, excitement and were eager to learn!
Most recently at the beginning of August our team of 4 volunteers fed all of the first responders, volunteers, road crews, and machine operators who fought the huge blaze that threatened so many homes, ranches, businesses in the Waimea area. We fed them 3 hearty meals a day with snacks, and beverages to keep them hydrated. With the help of great local businesses island wide, we purchased as well as received donated items to provide over 200 meals at each mealtime. Each fire zone was delivered the amount of meals they needed to feed their crew. Before the end of the night we prepared 60 sandwiches that would be picked up the following morning at 5:45am for Parker Ranch cowboys. They traveled a good 2-2 1/2 hours to get to their zone where they needed to keep fighting the fire and hot spots. This area was not accessible to our volunteers to deliver them meals.
Now we are gearing up for our Christmas season. This will be our 12th year of delivering on Christmas morning a hot turkey meal with all the fixings to over 550 Kupuna who live in senior housing complexes from Honoka'a, Kohala, Waimea, Kona, Kealakekua and Captain Cook. The houseless as well as hospice patients on the west side of the island. We will also deliver blessing bags with non perishable foods, snacks and basic need items.
COVID restrictions are still in place here in Hawaii and will again prevent us from having the Waimea Twilight Christmas Parade. So, this year the parade will be a drive thru parade where local truckers will decorate their trucks and line up along Ala Ohia Road. Residents will be able to drive through Ala Ohia to view all of the trucks on display. Each parade entry is encouraged to donate to The Big Island Giving Tree monetarily or with gift cards to COSTCO, KTA, Foodland, or local gas stations. All proceeds will help us to accomplish our Christmas outreach efforts.
Food Distributions in rural communities like Oceanview, Pahoa, Kohala and Honoka’a. Bringing fresh food boxes to residents.
We continue our monthly outreaches in Pahoa and Oceanview bringing much needed supplies, clean clothing and housewares.
Weekly Home delivery meals to Kupuna in Kohala. Meals being prepared by Ippy’s Hawaiian Barbeque and Feed Kohala Initiative.
Food Pantries in the North Hawaii District
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There are 3 Free Little Food Pantries in the North Hawaii District. BIGT takes extra care in helping to keep those pantries stocked along with other community members. These Free Little Food Pantries give families and individuals the opportunity to access free food when they need it. The motto for the pantries is to "Take what you need and leave what you can". Pantries are located in Hawi near Car Tow Kohala, in Kapa'au near the thrift store, and in Waimea outside of New Hope Church. |
Clothing
Monthly clothing and basic needs outreach happens in the Ka'u district at St. Jude's Church every 3rd Saturday. Offering free clothing, shoes, basic need items etc. Donations are collected and items are purchased to bring blessings to those in need in Ka'u. Barbara and Dave Breskin are the coordinators in the Ka'u.
Volunteers & Outreach
We are in search of outreach opportunities on the east side of the island. With many displaced families still affected by the volcano, we are looking for a volunteer who can coordinate a monthly clothing outreach. Contact us for more information.
Back To School
Each month we do an outreach
in Ka’u at St. Jude’s Church.
BIGT volunteers at the Honu Triathlon every year.
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Help Us Make a Difference In
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A Glimpse Into What We Do |