Give back: Holiday volunteering, charity ideas to make an impact

The holidays are fast approaching. Don’t be a Grinch and embrace giving opportunities in your community.

Presented is a list of charity events to help you accomplish good deeds — and may your heart be six sizes too large.

The Salvation Army’s red kettles and bell ringers are synonymous with the holiday season. Red kettle donations support community-based programs in the area where each donation is made. Businesses can adopt an actual red kettle or counter kettle for their reception area, office or store front for a minimum sponsorship of $1,000. Businesses can also set up paper red kettles to help collect funds. In addition, participate by setting up virtual red kettles online at hawaii.salvationarmy.org. New this year, The Salvation Army is reaching out via social media to highlight reasons why people support its programs in local communities via the red kettle. Tag a message with #RedKettleReason. Volunteer bell ringers are needed and those interested can call 988-2136.

Girl Scout Troop 2028 is participating in the annual Veterans & Family Memorial Care’s Christmas Stockings for Soldiers. This initiative allows the public to show support for deployed troops by sending them some aloha and holiday cheer. Donations are being collected at the Kona King Coffee and Girl Scouts Booth from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Keauhou Farmers Market. Donors can also call Nicki Yamane at 315-5542 or Pauline Gaspar at 895-2557 to arrange a donation pickup or for information. Items wanted include phone cards, hygiene products, jerky, candy, snacks, travel games, playing cards, puzzles, CDs, DVDs, sewing kits, pens, books, lip balm, razors, sunscreen, bug spray, eye drops, air fresheners, and dog treats and toys. The troop’s goal is to collect enough items to send 500 stockings. Nov. 30 is the donation deadline.

The Royal Kona Resort is hosting Holiday by the Sea, a benefit for the Visitor Industry Charity Walk, from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday at its luau grounds. The event includes dinner, entertainment, a Polynesian show, mini crafts fair, silent auction and family holiday photo station. Tickets can be purchased by contacting Criste Ching at 930-3246 or cristec@hawaiianhotels.com. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $10 for children age 12 and younger. Proceeds go to the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association for its 2015 charity walk.

The St. James’ Circle Christmas Bazaar is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Created by St. James Episcopal Church, Waimea Country School and Small World Preschool, this event features a Christmas store with antiques, artwork, ornaments, soaps and other seasonal items; baked goods; preserves; food booths; face painting; games; and rummage and plant sales. Proceeds will be shared with the Food Pantry at Annunciation Church, Kokua Ministry of New Hope Church and St. James outreach ministries. For more information, contact Jasmine Bostock at 384-3091 or email jb3909a@student.american.edu.

Now through Dec. 31, customers at Foodland and Sack N Save stores can make donations at checkout through the Share a Holiday Feast program. Those donations will be turned into Foodland gift certificates and distributed by The Salvation Army to families in need on each island where the donations were received.

For months, residents have been filling shoeboxes with toys, school supplies, hygiene items and notes of encouragement for Operation Christmas Child. Now through Monday, Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization, is collecting the gift-filled shoeboxes at more than 4,000 dropoff sites nationwide. West Hawaii collection sites are Living Stones Church in Kailua-Kona and New Beginnings Assembly of God in Waimea. This year, Operation Christmas Child hopes to collect enough shoebox gifts for 10 million needy children, of which 2,014 packages are anticipated to come from West Hawaii. Participants can also build a personalized shoebox gift online at samaritanspurse.org. For more information, call (714) 432-7030.

The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program provides new clothing or toys for keiki and seniors in need. Christmas trees are decorated with paper angel tag ornaments with the first name, age and gender of a keiki or senior in need of presents. Donors remove one or more tags from the Angel Tree and purchase appropriate gifts for keiki or seniors described on the tags. Angel Trees are at all Central Pacific Bank branches starting Monday and at various stores statewide starting Nov. 28. Customers may also make cash donations, which will be used for keiki gifts, at Burger King Hawaii restaurants now until Dec. 15.

Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows invites local organizations and charities to participate in the annual Charity Trees at the resort. This event raises awareness and funds for nonprofits. Monday is the entry deadline so organizations have time to create their decorations. The Charity Trees will be displayed in the lobby from Dec. 3 through the holiday season. Residents and visitors can view the entries and vote for their favorite tree. There’s a $1 donation per vote. Winners will be announced Dec. 22 and the resort will award cash prizes to the organizations whose trees receive the highest number of votes: $2,000 (first place), $1,000 (second place) and $500 (third place). Donations will be split among participating organizations. All for-profit organizations must designate a charity to receive their donation. For entry forms or information, contact Ranie Fukumoto at 881-7002 or rfukumoto@maunalani.com.

The Kona Task Force on Feeding the Hungry is hosting its annual Meet and Eat Thanksgiving dinner from 5:15 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Kealakehe Intermediate School cafeteria. Hundreds are expected to participate in this free holiday feast. Donations of nonperishable foods and money are being sought to support the task force’s year-round efforts. The all-volunteer task force has served more than 140,000 weekly meals for those in need and the community through Meet and Eat, a program supported solely by donations. To donate or for more information, contact Ardie Ikeda at 987-1664 or ikedaa004@hawaii.rr.com.

The Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity is holding its annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Eve Worship Concert at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. This event raises money and food for The Food Basket. A potluck will be held after the concert and attendees should bring a dish or dessert to share. For more information, call Pastor Chuck at 987-4219.

Jackie Rey’s Ohana Grill and The Salvation Army are teaming up again to offer a Thanksgiving meal for the homeless, low-income families and anyone in need of assistance. This event is propelled by volunteers and supporters who donate time, food and money. This year’s event begins at 10 a.m. Thursday at the restaurant on Kuakini Highway in Kailua-Kona. Meals will also be delivered to elderly homes, shelters and other places that registered early with The Salvation Army. Those interested in donating a turkey for the event can bring it to Buns In the Sun in Lanihau Center. Monetary donations, vegetables and volunteers are also being sought. To get involved or for more information, contact Lt. Micheal Stack at 326-2330 or micheal.stack@usw.salvationarmy.org.

Waimea Middle School’s eighth-grade East Coast travelers and their families are holding a Thanksgiving Imu. Food can be dropped off from 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday to classroom W-101 and picked up from 8 to 9 a.m. Thursday at the Ahana residence in Kuhio Village. Maps will be provided. Tickets must be purchased in advance and the cost is $20 per pan. Food items must be thawed, seasoned, placed in heavy-duty foil pans and double-wrapped with heavy-duty foil. Some prefer wrapping green ti leaves or parchment around foods before the foil wrapping. Suggested food includes turkey, ham, pork, fish and vegetables. Tickets can be purchased at the school office or by calling Patti Cook at 937-2833. Proceeds help underwrite the students’ trip to Washington, D.C., New York and Philadelphia, where American history lessons are brought to life.

The Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual Bid for Hawaii online auction Black Friday through Dec. 8. The auction, available at biddingforgood.com/bidforHawaii, promotes Hawaii products and services while helping support the chamber. Proceeds go toward chamber programs and services. Featured items include hotel stays, activities, fine dining, locally made or sourced goods, and business services. For more information, contact the chamber at 329-1758 or info@kona-kohala.com.

In conjunction with Holiday House, the Kona Hospital Auxiliary is participating in the annual Christmas at the Volcano, happening from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 28, 29 and 30, as well as Dec. 6 and 7. Donations of new items are being accepted. Art, antiques and holiday gifts will be sold at this event to raise money for nursing scholarships. The event is at 99-1949 Pukeawe Circle, near the Volcano Winery. For more information, call 938-9694 or visit kchauxiliary.org.

The public can drop off donations for Toys for Tots, Hawaii Food Basket and Hawaii Island Humane Society from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 1 through 20 at Alii Gardens Marketplace, located at 75-6129 Alii Drive in Kona. There will also be a free holiday event featuring keiki and pet photos with Santa, arts, crafts, food and live music. For more information, contact Debi at 937-8844 or luvmysbt@gmail.com.

Parker Ranch’s annual tree lighting is from 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 4 at Puuopelu Historic Homes. Besides lighting of a giant pine, there will be entertainment, free hot chocolate and cookies. Dinner of beef stew, rice, baked goods and coffee is also available, with proceeds benefiting the Big Island Giving Tree and its “Our Kupuna, Our Kuleana” focus. Monetary donations and gift cards to local stores toward this cause are welcome.

The American Federation Kona Kohala Chefs Association is hosting its annual holiday scholarship fundraiser at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 6 at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel. The event benefits culinary students attending the Hawaii Community College in Kona, the “Equip the Kitchens” campaign for the future Hawaii Community College — Palamanui campus, and association members wanting to further their education. Twenty Hawaii chefs and confectioners will use primarily locally sourced ingredients to prepare cuisine with a holiday twist. Handcrafted ales, wines and 100 percent Kona coffee will also be served. Live music and a silent auction will occur. Tickets are $85 each presale or $90 at the door. VIP table seating for 10 is available for $1,000. Tickets are available at konakohalachefs.org, Kailua Candy Co., Clark Realty Kona, Kona Wine Market, Westside Wines Kona, Bentleys in Waimea, or by calling 329-2522.

Manaolana Hope Inc. is holding its Courage Breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. Dec. 6 at Sam Choy’s Kai Lanai in Keauhou. This annual fundraiser is for the Kona-based nonprofit, which strives to empower people with unique needs with the power of aloha, ohana and ke akua. The event features a breakfast buffet, door prizes, silent auction, guest speakers and entertainment. The cost is $35 per person. Tickets are available at the restaurant, Orchid Island Ford, Copy Post Plus and by emailing manaolanahope@pacificwest.com. For more information, call Trish at 345-2862.

Auntie’s Angels is hosting its annual Celebrate Seniors Christmas Luncheon from noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 7 at the low-income Hualalai Elderly Housing complex. Nearly 100 seniors live on site. Donations of $5 gift cards from local businesses and desserts are sought. Also needed are volunteers to help with event setup and serving. To donate or volunteer, call Jan at 329-7897.

The Kona Business and Professional Women’s annual poinsettia sale is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 7 at Hale Halawai in Kailua-Kona. This event raises money for high school scholarships and Grant for Success awards, which help women in the community better their standings in the employment world. A variety of poinsettias in red, pink and white will be offered in 6-inch or 8-inch diameter pots and 2-gallon pots. Crafts and jams are available, too. The organization is also accepting advance orders of red or marble white poinsettias in 6-inch, 8-inch and 10-inch diameter pots. Free delivery is offered for plant orders of $100 or more. Delivery arrangements can be made Nov. 28 or Dec. 5. To preorder or for more information, call Cathy Shea at 425-269-2437 or Muriel Boot at 987-8412.

Santa will be spending time in North Kohala on Dec. 13. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., he will be at the community Christmas tree in front of Hawi Barbecue at the corner of Hawi Hill Road and Akoni Pule Highway. The public is invited to take photos with Santa and add unbreakable ornaments to the lighted tree. Donations of nonperishable food items and unwrapped toys are being collected for those less fortunate in the community. For more information, contact Craig Williams at 889-0515 or craigsohana@gmail.com.

On Dec. 13, volunteers from several Rotary Clubs will be collecting food donations for The Food Basket from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at different Big Island locations, including Choice Mart, KTA Stores, Safeway, Sack N Save Kona, Matsuyama Food Mart and Marketplace, and Waikoloa Village Marketplace. After this third annual Menehune Food Drive, the public is invited to attend the Kona Christmas Parade, where food donations will also be collected along the route. For more information, call 933-6030 or visit hawaiifoodbasket.org.

Mokuaikaua Congregational Church food pantry coordinator Mary Lou Hoffman and her ministry are hosting a free Christmas pancake breakfast for the homeless from 9 to 10 a.m. Dec. 24 at the HOPE Services Hawaii’s West Hawaii Emergency Housing Program on Pawai Place in Kailua-Kona. Donations of travel toiletries, candy, cookies and socks are being sought for gift bags. Hoffman is also collecting books, toys and new or gently used clothing for children of the families fed that day. To donate or volunteer, call Hoffman at 217-9518.

Individuals, families or businesses can “adopt” a family or senior to support during the holidays. To donate or for details, call The Salvation Army at 988-2136.

Big Island Giving Tree, created by Waimea volunteers, has a new 501(c)(3) home with Redeeming Light International. Together, they will “bring light and hope to those facing difficult times year-round” and provide the public with the opportunity to make a tax-deductible donation toward this cause. Big Island Giving Tree is serving North Hawaii seniors this holiday season, as well as helping families in crisis because of fires, illness and unexpected events. Donations are being sought, should be made payable to BIGT, and can be mailed to P.O. Box 2786, Kamuela, HI 96743. To help or for more information, call Rhonda Bell at 880-1984.

Project Hawaii Inc.’s annual Christmas Wish Program provides gifts for children of homeless or poverty-stricken families on Hawaii Island and Oahu. Those interested can email the number of keiki they are wishing to sponsor and the nonprofit will send a wish list, which typically includes most-needed items and items the child wants. Only new toys, clothing and items are accepted. Monetary donations can also be made to cover the cost of a meal or a gift-filled stocking. Donations can be dropped off at Trudy’s Island Arts at Kona International Market. Project Hawaii is in need of more toy drives and drop-off locations on both islands. To get involved, call Directors Magin Patrick and Cliff Kama Sr. at 987-6018, email projecthawaiiinc@yahoo.com or visit HelptheHomelessKeiki.org.

Each year, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program collects new, unwrapped toys and then distributes those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community. The public can drop off new, unwrapped toys in collection boxes positioned in various businesses islandwide. For more information, including where to find a drop-off site, or to donate, call Paul Fujioka at 969-0123 or visit hilo-hi.toysfortots.org.

Editor’s note: There may be holiday charity events in addition to those listed. The featured information was submitted to West Hawaii Today by various community members, organizations and businesses by the Nov. 14 deadline.