T he spirit of giving was in full force Friday morning in Kainaliu as needy Big Island families received free turkeys to ensure a special Thanksgiving meal.
Scores of residents, young and old, converged upon the King’s Daughters Ministry Thrift Store for a morning of fun, entertainment, food and praise before the nonprofit organization distributed some 230 frozen turkeys. It’s an annual event that has occurred for at least the past half-dozen years, said Helen Vailuu, King’s Daughters Ministry president.
“It just makes them smile and feel good,” Vailuu said about why the organization, despite trying economic times, puts forth more than $3,600 it earns from proceeds at the thrift store and donations to purchase the turkeys for those in need, who sign up with organization ahead of time. “We are going to work hard to make sure everyone gets a turkey.”
An estimated 300 people had signed up ahead of time to receive a turkey, she said. That’s in addition to the people who showed up at the Kainaliu thrift store early Friday to sign up for any unclaimed turkeys.
Getting a turkey at the event helps South Kona residents JoAnne Medeiros and Jacklyn Ching ensure a great Thanksgiving dinner with their family. This year, Medeiros said she is expecting dinner to include some 15 family members, spanning three generations.
“Thanksgiving dinner is very important — it’s something we do every year,” said Medeiros about her family get-together. “We want to make sure the kids have the same traditions as we did.”
Added Ching, “it means a lot (that King’s Daughters provides the turkeys to families in need). Getting a turkey means I can buy the other ingredients for the dinner.”
Attendees Friday morning were also able to sign up for other programs the organization offers, such as the Love Giving program, which King’s Daughters Ministry organizes annually to help needy families in the area. Those families’ needs can then be “adopted” by other families, individuals, groups and organizations.
For more information, or to contribute to the organization’s efforts, call Vailuu at 322-0797 or 937-5940 or email her at kingsdaughters@hawaii.rr.com.
Additional information can also be found online at kingsdaughterskona.com.