Over 200 people gathered together to celebrate and thank our 2019 Honorees on May 4 at the UH Hilo Campus Center. The Friends, celebrating their 29th year of assisting children of abuse and neglect in East Hawaii, were happy to shift the focus to honoring one busy businessman and hard-working representatives from a local service club.
Bill Miller of Discount Fabric Warehouse was a special honoree for his priceless involvement in designing, coordinating, instructing and furnishing materials for bright and cheery duffle bags for keiki removed from their homes and placed into protective custody. Many people came to his workshops to sew the bags from materials and supplies generously donated by Bill through his store. When many children are moved around to foster homes or other living situations, the only “bag” they have is often a black trash bag… and studies show that when these children use trash bags, they “feel like trash” themselves. Having a bright bag that is theirs alone makes a huge difference.
The organization that was honored was the Akaka Falls Lions Club, whose members have often been found at the Center doing maintenance work. Painting, cleaning screens, fixing small problems, this Lions Club has been a great help to the Friends and to the Center.
Mahalo to Bill and the Akaka Falls Lions Club… we couldn’t do it without you!