BY CHELSEA JENSEN | WEST HAWAII TODAY An animal’s calming nature has a lot to offer troubled keiki on the Big Island. ADVERTISING And it’s that notion that led a local real estate company to recently donate $10,000 to the
BY CHELSEA JENSEN | WEST HAWAII TODAY
An animal’s calming nature has a lot to offer troubled keiki on the Big Island.
And it’s that notion that led a local real estate company to recently donate $10,000 to the Hawaii Island Humane Society to support Humane Education programs.
“It’s about teaching the kids a respect for life through responsibility and caring for the animals,” said Beth Richardson, Windermere C and H Properties chief executive officer and principal broker. “It lets the kids know that it’s not right to treat any living thing that way.”
The Humane Education programs offer children, ranging in age from 6 to 17 years old, an array of animal-related classes that strive to teach responsibility,
proper treatment of animals, compassion and kindness, according to a November 2011 proposal for funding submitted by the society’s Executive Director Donna Whitaker.
Attempts to contact Whitaker over a two-day period were unsuccessful because she was on vacation. No other member of the society was able to comment as of press time.
One of the Humane Education programs, called a “New Leash on Life,” works with underprivileged and at-risk teens, who are referred to the program, for four to six months. It connects youth with shelter dogs to promote self-confidence, trust, responsibility and compassion through training the dog, according to the proposal.
“This will lead to an increase in self-confidence and personal value, which will allow (the children) to become more responsible members of the community,” Whitaker wrote.
Richardson said the company, in addition to the $10,000 donated, will donate another $10,000 in 2013 through its Windermere Foundation to continue the program. The money is derived from $25 donations made to the foundation on every escrow transaction. Agents can, and often do, increase the tax deductible donation, she added.
Windermere is also helping raise money for the humane society’s future 12-acre site in Keauhou, she said. Through the foundation, Windermere hopes to raise enough money to help construct a home that will offer troubled youth a safe place to spend time with animals.
“We want these kids to come in and play with animals and feel relaxed, comfortable and in a caring environment,” she said. “Most of our agents have animals that came from a shelter and we understand how having an object to care for and be responsible for can effect a young person’s life.”
For more information or to donate, visit the foundation’s website at windermereandyou.org. Donations can also be made to the Windermere Foundation and mailed to the company at 75-5919 Walua Rd., Kailua-Kona, HI 96740.
cjensen@westhawaiitoday.com
