Presentation of Suitcases and Basic Necessities to Keiki in Foster Care
The MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) Club of East Honolulu, presented 41 travel-size suitcases, and the Kamehameha School’s Class of 2009 presented items from their Slipper & T-Shirt drive to the Department of Human Services (DHS) on Monday, November 19, 2007, at the State Capitol Rotunda, to help meet the needs of foster children living on O‘ahu.
Members of the MOMS Club and the Kamehameha School’s c/o 2009, partnered with Kōkua ‘Ohana and chose Hawaii’s foster keiki as the recipients of their group’s projects.
“On behalf of our foster children, I want to thank the MOMS Club and the Kamehameha School’s c/o 2009 for its kindness and generosity,” Director Koller said. “Foster children face many challenges, and a gift such as this lets them know they are loved and appreciated and that we, as a community, want these young people to lead happy and fulfilling lives.”
MOMS Club members paid for the suitcases by selling more than 300 cookbooks as one of their many community service projects this year. Entitled “Buns in the Oven and Other Favorite Recipes,” the cookbook – containing submissions from club members, friends and relatives – raised more than $1,300. Inside each suitcase is a note from the club reminding foster children that they are not alone and that people care for them.
Kamehameha School’s Kapalama Campus Junior Class of 2009 elected to support children in Hawaii’s foster care system and came up with the idea of a Slipper & T-shirt drive that resulted in addition, a collection of other items such as backpacks and hair accessories.
It was suggested that a “suitcase drive” and “basic necessity drive” would benefit children in foster care, who often don’t have anything to put their belongings in when they are placed with a foster family. Many times, their clothing and basic possessions are carried in trash bags. These projects will positively affect the lives of children in foster care and will hopefully be seen as models of future community projects for organizations statewide.
