Advents Corner

Sunday, February 3 at 3 PM - OCEAN CONSERVATION FORUM

Hawai’i: Message in the Waves

This is a film from the BBC Natural History Unit looking at some of the environmental challenges facing the people and wildlife of the Hawaiian Islands. The film also includes an interview with Hawai’i’s Jack Johnson. Click here for more info.

‘AINA IS Cookbook V.1 is here!

Visit the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation store to order your copy today!

Kokua Art Contest Time!

Student entries are due February 29.

Stop Stryrofoam!
Learn about and support State legislation to ban Styrofoam food service containers in Hawai’i. Go to stopstyrofoamhawaii.org. (Graphic from Stop Styrofoam Hawaii)

Plastic Free Hale’iwa CampaignThe Kokua Hawai’i Foundation is excited to be partnering with several Hale’iwa business owners on a new community project. 2008 will see the launch of Plastic Free Halei’wa, a community driven campaign that strives to educate stores, restaurants and patrons of Hale’iwa Town on the environmental and health benefits of going plastic free in order to minimize the consumption and pollution of plastics in our islands. Our goal is to minimize the use of single use plastic items such as plastic bags, food take-out containers (including Styrofoam), plastic utensils, and water bottles. There are several cost effective alternatives to single-use plastics including reusable bags and bottles, compostable bags and foodwares. Let’s make Hale’iwa Town a successful example of how to go Plastic Free. By working together we can make a difference for our neighborhood, island and world. If you would like more information on going Plastic Free please click here. To join us in this effort, please email us. The film we are showing at 3pm this Sunday, Message in the Waves, inspired towns in the UK to become plastic shopping bag free. See the highlights of the month for more info. regarding Message in The Waves.

Kokua Festival & STAR 101.9 Beach Clean-ups!
New this year! The Kokua Hawai’i Foundation will be joining forces with STAR 101.9 to make a difference on O’ahu’s beaches. Everyone who participates in these clean-ups will be entered to win a free pair of tickets and will all receive a unique password that will give access, through the STAR 101.9 website, to purchase tickets during their pre-sale event. Check out our calendar for more information.

Aloha Kokua Hawaii Foundation supporters,

The 2008 Kokua Festival is fast approaching. We are sharing the following important dates and information so that you don’t miss out on purchasing your Kokua Festival tickets.

February 4th - Kokua Festival lineup and show times will be announced!

February 8th - Kokua Hawaii Foundation Members Pre-sale
An email will be sent around February 4th to Kokua Hawaii Foundation members with information on how to access this pre-sale. Make sure you renew your membership, or become a member, by January 31st to be eligible for this pre-sale. To check your membership status please visit www.kokuahawaiifoundation.org/membership. A word of caution: just because you are on the KHF mailing list and receive our newsletters does not mean you are a member. So please check your membership status today!

February 9th, 10th & 11th - Kokua Festival and STAR 101.9 Beach Clean-Ups and Pre-Sale
New this year! The Kokua Hawaii Foundation will be joining forces with STAR 101.9 to make a difference on Oahu’s beaches. Everyone who participates in these clean-ups will be entered to win a free pair of tickets and will be able to purchase pre-sale tickets to the Kokua Festival. All beach clean-up participants will receive a unique password that will give access, through the STAR 101.9 website, to purchase tickets during their pre-sale event on February 11, 2008. Stay posted! The dates, times, and locations of the beach clean-ups will be announced in our February newsletter.

February 16th - General Kokua Festival Ticket Sale
If you miss out on both of these pre-sales the public ticket sale will take place on Saturday, February 16, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. through all Ticketmaster outlets. Please visit www.kokuafestival.com for more information.

April 19th & 20th - 2008 KOKUA FESTIVAL!

Look for the Kokua Hawaii Foundation February e-newsletter for more details or visit www.kokuahawaiifoundation.org and www.kokuafestival.com. MAHALO FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Do you like bidding on auctions on line?  Then I have the place for you.  What if you could get the best prices on iPhones, iPods, HDTV’s, or golf clubs all while helping your favorite charity?  When you use Bidaroo.com to bid on items and win, 25 to 65% of the price will be donated to the charity of your choice.  You can choose from National Breast Cancer Foundation, Jameson Camp and others.  The founder of the company won the battle with cancer several years ago and wanted to do something to give back for all of the help he received.   Some of the past charity auctions have been very successful for the bidders such as the winning bid on an iPhone 4 GB for $11.99 or a Coach bag for $29.97.  Take a minute and register to start bidding today.  You can place your first bid on a $10,000 shopping trip on Rodeo Drive.  Good luck to you and don’t forget you are helping out a wonderful cause.

I know this is just something someone wrote and it probably is not true but I have a feeling someone somewhere in the world has done something like this at Christmas time.  I am 36 years old and I still believe in Santa.  I believe he lives in all of us and not just at Christmas time.  I have a rule in my house EVERYONE must believe in Santa, if they don’t then they do not get presents because Santa does not visit anyone that does not believe in him.  For as long as you believe in yourself you should believe in Santa.  Now read below, the beautiful story and think about a time when you gave of yourself for someone else.  Post your story here if you like, we would love to hear all of the good deeds you do. 

I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: “There is no Santa Claus,” she jeered. “Even dummies know that!”
 
My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her “world-famous” cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true.
 
Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. “No Santa Claus?” she snorted….”Ridiculous! Don’t believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and
let’s go.”
 
“Go? Go where, Grandma?” I asked. I hadn’t even finished my second
world-famous cinnamon bun. “Where” turned out to be Kerby’s General
Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. “Take this money,” she said, “and buy something for someone who needs it. I’ll wait for you in the car.” Then she turned and walked out of Kerby’s.
 
I was only eight years old. I’d often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for.
  
I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock’s grade-two class.
 
Bobby Decker didn’t have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn’t have a cough; he didn’t have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat!
 
I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.  “Is this a Christmas present for someone?” the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. “Yes, ma’am,” I replied shyly. “It’s for Bobby.”
 
The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn’t get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.
 
That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, “To Bobby, From Santa Claus” on it. Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker’s house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa’s helpers.
 
Grandma parked down the street from Bobby’s house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. “All right, Santa Claus,” she whispered, “get going.”  I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma.
 
 
Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby.  Fifty years haven’t dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker’s bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were — ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team.  I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.

I think it is because I am getting older but who knows, I feel myself searching for something. A way to give back some the blessings I have received throughout my life. I have a wonderful husband who supports me in everything I try to do and an amazing family. I have been blessed with 3 daughters and mother that has always shown me what it meant to have courage and to be kind to people because it is the right thing to do.

So because of this I have starting looking for simple ways to give back to the world. Little things everyone can do. I think this all came to pass when Matt asked me what I would do if we won the lottery and money was not longer a factor in our lives. I told him the first thing I would do would be to quit my job and go to work in a soup kitchen. After I thought about it I figured I did not need to win the lottery to volunteer in a soup kitchen I just needed to find one. I found one and I did.

When we make our everyday purchases there are ways you can give back. JacarandaStyle is a merchant that sells only hand made items made in South Africa. A portion of every item is given to the Ethembeni School which helps physically disabled and visually impaired children in South Africa.

I personally like the ostrich eggs. They are on the expensive side but when you think about in terms of donating to a charity it really is not. I can not believe that they make little bowls out of the eggs but my favorite has to be the tea light candle holders. They look like they have such a beautiful hue to them.

Several publications such as Marie Claire and Ebony have also picked up on the value of this merchant giving back to the community. On the site you will find a 10% off coupon good towards any purchase on the site. If you need to do some last minute shopping I suggest you start here.