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Community Service Update: Women Helping Women Maui

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Real Estate Agent with Island Sotheby's International Realty R(S): 56519

I recently wrote a post about Women Helping Women, Maui's emergency shelter for women and children.  Recently, the shelter has been receiving a lot of attention as it is in dire need of contributions to continue to operate and support families in our community.

When I read an article in the Maui News that the shelter is currently home to 13 women and 19 children, I immediately thought about the holidays and what it would be like for those children to be away from home during that time.  While it's not much, I packed up my Wii gaming system and a few games and moves,  and dropped it all off at our local donation site AAAAA Rent A Space here in Honokowai.  I'm hoping it will make for a much happier holiday!

If you are interested in making a financial  contribution, a local community member has extended their generous offer to match all donations until the end of the year.  That means your much needed gift will be doubled.  For more information visit www.whwmaui.net

Happy Holidays!
 

Comments(8)

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Karen Anne Stone
New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Real Estate

Courtney:  What a great cause to get behind.  Just think if even ten percent of all of the women of Active Rain could scour their households and take whatever they could part with to their local women's shelter.  These women are sisters to all of us.

Dec 16, 2011 12:08 PM
David Farrell
David V. Farrell Co. - Garden City, NY
Licensed NY State Real Estate Broker

Courtney,  I love the Blog and your expression of care.  I work actively with several charties and am on the board of others in NYC.  It's amazing how rough it has been this year to raise funds.  Annual golf outings have been outright cancelled (or actually lost money), fund drives are down 20% on average, etc.  

I hope you get support for this.  I always remind people that even $10 or $20 can add up.  And, sometimes $10 to the person donating it is a bigger deal than $100,000 to someone else.

Best wishes.

Dec 17, 2011 07:08 AM
Courtney Brown, Realtor (S) Vice President
Island Sotheby's International Realty - Lahaina, HI
Live a Maui Life!

Thanks Karen,

What a great suggestion!

Could you imagine if every Active Rain member donated just one household item to the charity of their choice this holiday season, the difference it would make?

Aloha and Happy Holidays,
Courtney

 

Dec 17, 2011 07:13 AM
Courtney Brown, Realtor (S) Vice President
Island Sotheby's International Realty - Lahaina, HI
Live a Maui Life!

Hi David,

Thank you for taking the time to stop by my blog!

Over the past several years, instead of exchanging gifts, each person in our office has made a donation to a local charity that we vote on together. In the past, we've purchased books for classrooms and donated to the Maui Food Bank.  We are so fortunate in many ways, and the holidays can be a great time to review what you have to be grateful in your own life and then make a difference in in someoneone else's life.

Best wishes for the holidays!

Courtney

 

Dec 17, 2011 07:16 AM
Karen Anne Stone
New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Real Estate

Courtney, somehow we've got to get to the point where instead of wishing and hoping things would improve for those who need the food bank... to really becoming a part of what makes things better.  Thank you so much for trying to make folks in your area more aware of what has to be done.

Dec 17, 2011 01:36 PM
Courtney Brown, Realtor (S) Vice President
Island Sotheby's International Realty - Lahaina, HI
Live a Maui Life!

Hi Karen,

I think sometimes it just takes a small gesture on our parts to make a difference. A friend who has taken in over 25 foster children over the years sent me this in her Christmas card:

What Do You and a Starfish Have in Common?

Dec 18, 2011 06:51 AM
Courtney Brown, Realtor (S) Vice President
Island Sotheby's International Realty - Lahaina, HI
Live a Maui Life!

A young man vacationing in Maui went for his morning jog along the beach.

As he was running, he saw from a distance an older Hawaiian woman standing at the edge of the water tossing something into the ocean.

He approached and called out, "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The Hawaiian woman looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish into the sea."

"Why are you throwing starfish into the sea?" asked the somewhat startled man.

To this, the woman replied, "The sun is now up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the seemingly wise young man commented, "But lady, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach littered with thousands of starfish? You can't possibly make a difference!"

After hearing this, the Hawaiian woman bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, she said "It made a difference to this one."

Dec 18, 2011 06:51 AM
Karen Anne Stone
New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Real Estate

Courtney, I have seen that story before, but it is true... very true.  She made a difference for that starfish.

The longest journey begins with the first small step.

Dec 18, 2011 02:05 PM