DEPARTMENT:

‘Tis season of giving

The holidays are in full swing with parties and other festivities. It’s time for celebration and to be with family and friends. But it also is a time of need for those less fortunate in our community.

The Hawaii Foodbank gets extra requests at this time of year and its cupboards are running bare. To help fill them, you can drop off donations at the warehouse, 2611 Kilihau St., mauka of Nimitz Highway, or mail a check to the same address (ZIP 96819).

The top five food items needed are 1) canned meats or tuna; 2) canned meals such as spaghetti, chili or corned beef hash; 3) canned soups; 4) canned vegetables and fruits, and 5) canned beans. Of course, sacks of rice and plastic jars of peanut butter are accepted, too.

Money lets them buy perishable items such as holiday turkeys or hams. A donation of $1 provides more than $20 worth of food and 95 percent of donations go to feed the hungry in Hawaii. Plus, donations are tax deductible.

Here are some statistics from the 2006 annual report:

131,862 different people are served by the Hawaii Foodbank network including the Neighbor Islands and 11 percent of adults served are 65 or older.

The needy face tough choices: 32 percent have had to choose between food and rent or mortgage bills, 27 percent between food and medicine or medical needs.

Helping Hands Hawaii also has holiday needs in its efforts to assist those unable to help themselves or provide gifts for their family.

“Helping Hands Hawaii partners with social service agencies to identify families in need. Then we publicize this information with the help of the Honolulu Advertiser and KGMB Channel 9. Donors contact us to make donations and adopt families to help,” explains Maria Chomyszak, program manager, Community Clearinghouse & Ready To Learn for Helping Hands Hawaii.

Helping Hands Hawaii accepts donations throughout the year but the need is greater this time of year. Interested donors can call 536-7234 for more information.

This issue also marks the debut of a new, regular column in Generations Hawaii called “Eddie Sherman ….” Not surprisingly, it’s written by Eddie Sherman, who for years wrote his three-dot personality/celebrity column for the Honolulu Advertiser (1955 to 1973) and Midweek magazine (1985 to 2006). He was coaxed out of retirement by our publisher, Kini Popo, and will be bringing his special insight to Generations Hawaii readers.

When Eddie, now 83, retired from regular column writing in 2006, he put his writing talents toward a book. “Frank, Sammy, Marlon and Me: Adventures in Paradise with the Celebrity Set” was published last year by Watermark Publishing.

Generations Hawaii profiled Eddie as its cover subject in last December-January’s issue. Although, born on the Mainland, he adopted Hawaii as his permanent home in 1954 after a brief tour here during World War II.

And the rest, as they say, is history. We are happy to welcome Eddie to the pages of Generations Hawaii and hope our readers enjoy his chatty, fun and informative column.

This issue also marks my end as editor of Generations Hawaii. The magazine is expanding to monthly starting February and Trade Publishing needs an in-house editor to better control logistics. I have been a contract editor for the last eight months. I have enjoyed my tenure and I appreciate Kini giving me this opportunity. The new editor is Michael Egan.

I also want to thank Ursula Silva who did the graphics for the magazine. She had creative ideas to help illustrate the stories and it was a pleasure to work with her.

I wish them well with Generations Hawaii. It fills a very much needed niche. And, I will still be contributing as a writer.

Aloha, Dianne Glei

Dear Editor:

The magazine featuring (senior) surfers is a winner (November 2007). I am most proud to have been included.

A special thank you to Daniel (Ikaika Ito) who obviously knows and understands surfing as reflected in his writing. Also to your photography team who made this “old dog” look good.
Please extend my congratulations to all involved in the magazine.

Warmest aloha,
Sen. Fred Hemmings
Senate Minority Leader

Generations Hawaii magazine wants to hear from you, the reader, about what you like and don’t like in the magazine.

We will publish selected and edited letters in future issues. Please include your name and a phone number (not to be published).

Send to Letters to the Editor of Generations, c/o Trade Publishing, 287 Mokauea St., Honolulu, 96819; or e-mail to drmichaelegan@tradepublishing.com.

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