Hawaiʻi Police Department
Office of the Chief
Harry S. Kubojiri
Phone: 961-2244
Media Release (update)
The Hawaiʻi Police Department is pleased to announce that families throughout the island donated 135 backpacks for children in need during a backpack drive between July and September.
During the backpack drive, all police stations around the island doubled as drop-off points. This was the third consecutive year the Police Department worked in partnership with HOPE Services Hawaiʻi (formerly known as the Office of Social Ministry) and From Kids For Kids in the collection and distribution of these items.
Backpacks have been identified as the most requested non-food item for charities in Hawaiʻi. The donated backpacks are being distributed to children at women’s shelters, homeless shelters and transitional housing facilities around the Big Island.
In addition to the backpacks, thoughtful citizens donated the following items for families that might not have the means to purchase them for their school-age children:
- 47 boxes of crayons
- 44 composition tablets
- 8 boxes colored markers
- 8 boxes colored pencils
- 32 boxes of pencils
- 50 spiral notebooks
- 57 folders
- 26 binders
- 25 erasers
- 19 scissors
- 16 bottles of glue
- 14 packs of binder paper
Police Chief Kubojiri said he is grateful for the community’s participation. “It is heartening to see the outpouring of compassion, even during these hard economic times,” Kubojiri said. “You have proven that the aloha spirit is alive and well when it comes to opening our hearts and lending a helping hand.”
Hope Services Hawaiʻi provides a continuum of homeless and transitional programs from outreach to emergency shelters, including permanent supportive housing placements.
From Kids For Kids was founded in 2006 by Big Island resident Nani Welch-Keliihoomalu, then 10, who was responsible for distributing backpacks containing books, clothing, art and school supplies.