WAILUKU, Maui (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard is helping the Salvation Army deliver presents in Hawaii after a ferry stopped running, disrupting the charity’s normal operation.
WAILUKU, Maui (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard is helping the Salvation Army deliver presents in Hawaii after a ferry stopped running, disrupting the charity’s normal operation.
The Molokai ferry stopped running in October after years of reportedly losing money, reported The Maui News. Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division Kahului corps officer Lt. Romelia Howard contacted the coast guard for help completing the annual journey to Molokai, an island east of Oahu.
The coast guard stepped in Friday to ferry the Salvation Army, 800 toys and clothes to Molokai children. A crew from the Coast Guard station in Maui loaded the toys onto a 45-foot motor lifeboat alongside Howard and her crew.
“The crew really jumped at the opportunity to help out and make this happen,” said the executive petty officer at Station Maui, Petty Officer 1st Class John Murphy. “Many of them haven’t been a part of something like this before. We’re pleased to partner with the Salvation Army on this and bring these gifts to Molokai.”
The Salvation Army’s Kahului division tries to help more than 600 families throughout Maui County.
The Coast Guard has been helping communities in the United States and its territories for more than 200 years, bringing doctors and dentists to remote areas.