Support ‘Preparedness for a Cause’

by Michael Choe | Dec. 4, 2021

There’s something about the holidays that puts everyone in a good mood. Maybe it’s the parties, food — and days off. Or the traditions and family reunions. My personal favorite is the festively decorated homes like the one belonging to Stanward Oshiro, our staff engineer on Hawaii Island. Of course, there’s also the joy that comes from the simple act of giving.

Hawaiian Electric is a longtime supporter of Hawaii Foodbank and Marine Toys for Tots. In past years the company has hosted employee donation drives at our worksites and it was great to see those huge donation boxes overflowing with toys. One year, I passed by a drop box so frequently that I got to see it fill more and more each day. The generosity I witnessed prompted me to make my own contribution. When I attended the Toys for Tots event, I saw multiple boxes overflowing with toys. It was heartening to see the charitable spirit of Hawaiian Electric employees. Due to the pandemic, these drives have been placed on hold to ensure the safety of our employees and work sites, but we’re still encouraged to donate directly to the organizations.

In response to the pandemic last year, Island Preparedness Group on Oahu partnered with Kapolei Shopping Center to host “Preparedness for a Cause,” a drive-thru toy and food drive supporting Hawaii Foodbank and Marine Toys for Tots. The drive received $1,700 in monetary donations, 1,500 pounds of food and 400 toys. That’s a lot of holiday spirit!

This year, our employees and the community are encouraged to participate in Preparedness for a Cause, which will be held at three different locations on Saturday, Dec. 11.

• West Oahu: Kapolei Shopping Center (parking lot near Safeway) from 8 a.m. to noon
• Windward: Christ Church Uniting (parking lot) from 9 a.m. to noon
• East Oahu: Kahala Mall (parking lot near Chili’s restaurant) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Food items should be non-perishable and toys should be new and unwrapped. As a thank you, donors will receive an emergency preparedness gift bag.

In this short video, Island Preparedness Group Chair Pono Higa and Hawaiian Electric Generation and Project Development Director Jack Shriver encourage and thank those who can donate:

It’s great to know that there’s a safe way to conveniently drop off donations at three different sites on the island. And I’m excited to learn more about emergency preparedness from the materials in the gift bag I’ll receive when I drop off some local favorite Spam and a couple Hot Wheels toy cars. If you’d like to learn more about Preparedness for a Cause, visit linktr.ee/Prep4ACause.

Michael Choe is a digital communications and social media specialist at Hawaiian Electric.