Stranger Than Fiction
The GIFT Foundation’s annual gala is the Halloween party of the year, partly for the fun, mostly because of all the children who will benefit this year
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“For the most part, we are looking for more entrepreneurial beneficiaries. Education and youth were some of the components we were looking for this year, but we don’t limit ourselves to that. We try to remain flexible. We just try to do the right thing under the right circumstances,” adds Arce.
When reviewing beneficiary applications, The GIFT Foundation board members like to find organizations that may have specific programs or projects where the monies donated can be immediately applied.
“There is no red tape in our beneficiary selection process. We do our due diligence, and when these organizations receive notice from us they can get right to work on their projects. There are no delays, no long drawn out processes it is sort of an instant gratification. I find that very exciting because people can see the immediate impact, and younger philanthropists should be very jazzed to see that,” says GIFT Foundation board member Aubrey Hawk.
This year’s beneficiary selections, although organizations differing in their own regard, all focus on children and family and the importance of maintaining healthy, positive relations during what can be very trivial and trying times.
Connie Sizemore, development director at Family Programs Hawaii which provides social service dedicated to strengthening children and families involved in the child welfare system through high quality support is thrilled The GIFT Foundation of Hawaii selected it and its Project Visitation program as a beneficiary.
“We thought it was a really good fit because the needs of these kids is statewide. It is a very heartfelt program that tugs on people’s heartstrings,” says Sizemore.
Family Program Hawaii’s Project Visitation utilizes community volunteers to bring together siblings who have been separated through the child welfare system for monthly visits and events, helping to maintain family connections and relationships.
Mental Health of America’s Stop Youth Suicide and Bullying Project also was chosen as a donation recipient. As a local branch of the national Mental Health of America non-profit organization, Stop Youth Suicide and Bullying Project works with youths, teachers and counselors in constructively approaching and addressing issues of suicide. Hawaii currently has the highest rate of youth suicide attempts in the nation. The issue of bullying and cyber bullying is an issue that Antonia Alvarez, director of Stop Youth Suicide and Bullying Project, finds very important for the positive growth of our youths.
“The issue of bullying is so big right now that a lot of people and a lot of organizations are starting to do a lot of work in this area. It is just amazing that The GIFT Foundation of Hawaii is helping us to continue that,” says Alvarez, whom you may recognize at the Literati Glitterati: Stranger Than Fiction party dressed as a favorite children’s book character.
This year’s final GIFT Foundation of Hawaii beneficiary, which will receive a portion of the estimated $250,000 that GIFT is committed to gifting, is Hospice Hawaii and its recently developed Pediatric Hospice Program dedicated to working with the needs of terminally ill children and their families.
“It was really in this past year that we realized we had been caring for children on and off as cases arose, but not in any formal manner. As a part of last year’s health care reform bill, Medicaid opened what were previous barriers to hospice care. This is kind of a start-up process, but we are really excited about this opportunity for us to specialize our care even further,” says Hospice Hawaii president and chief professional officer Kenneth Zeri, who is planning a little play on the J. R. R. Tolkien character Gandalf for the Halloween festivities.
With nearly a decade of successful, generous and fun philanthropic experience, The GIFT Foundation of Hawaii is becoming an inspirational and certainly reputable organization that has attracted top-notch local sponsorship, including A & B Foundation, Bank of Hawaii, Marathon Group, Ludwick Foundation and WCIT Architecture.
Literati Glitterati: Stranger Than Fiction is just the avenue to let your creativity run wild. A chance to dance with The Mistress of OZ, share stories with The Wine Merchant of Venice or be tempted to fall into the Mis-Adventures of Alice in Wonderland.
For more information on The GIFT Foundation of Hawaii or to purchase tickets to Literati Glitterati: Stranger Than Fiction, visit thegiftfoundationofhawaii.org.
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