Bank of Hawaii leads April 29 island-wide donation drive

13 Jul Bank of Hawaii leads April 29 island-wide donation drive

April  2020 – At IHS, The Institute for Human Services, our purpose has always been to get people off the streets and expedited to housing. Yet in this crisis, we know that there will be many who remain unsheltered.

With our shelter operations nearing capacity, Bank of Hawaii and its Foundation are helping us ramp up IHS’ community outreach efforts to empower those who are unsheltered to have the supplies needed.

The bank is hosting “Bags of Hope,” a one-day only goods drive in which donations of supplies, as well as money, will be collected from the community. The drive-through event will be held at or near these four branches on Wednesday, April 29, between 7 and 9 a.m.

Bank of Hawaii Branch Locations (only on April 29 between 7 and 9 am)

This goods drive will be held at or in close proximity to the following branch locations for easy, contactless drop-off of goods. Please note: all of these BOH branch locations are currently closed.

• Bank of Hawaii Kaneohe—45-1001 Kamehameha Highway (on William Henry Rd. across from Sprint (turn left into parking lot))
• Bank of Hawaii Kunia—94-661 Kupuohi Street (at Kunia Shopping Center in the upper parking lot near Jack in the Box)
• Bank of Hawaii Kahala—4211 Waialae Avenue (Chili’s parking lot on Waialae Avenue)
• Bank of Hawaii Ward—1288 Ala Moana Boulevard (Roundabout at intersection of Auahi and Queen in front of Panya and Tango restaurants, across from the IBM building)

Nearly 6,000 people every year rely on IHS for a wide variety of needs, including outreach, food, housing and care. Those who are unsheltered during this pandemic need essential supplies to remain safely in place. IHS and Bank of Hawaii invite the public to help create “Bags of Hope” for unsheltered homeless by dropping off any of the following supplies:

• Office & kitchen garbage bags
• Small bottles of liquid soap or dishwashing liquid
• Spray bottle with disinfectant
• Toilet paper
• Paper towels
• Pre-packaged snacks, such as granola bars
• 1-liter bottles of water
• Reusable grocery bags
• Monetary donations

Momi Akimseu, president of Bank of Hawaii Foundation recently shared with me: “Bank of Hawaii and its Foundation are long-standing partners with the Institute for Human Services. We are grateful to IHS and its committed team of staff and volunteers for the critical work they do to support our most vulnerable and mobile populations. We hope this focused effort will help IHS secure needed supplies, and that everyone encamped can stay safely in place.”

Bank of Hawaii Foundation is donating $20,000 to support all of IHS initiatives during the COVID-19 crisis including its service expansion to those unsheltered individuals who may be living on the streets, in encampments and even the woods.

We hope that you will join this drive-through event on Wednesday, April 29. Spread the word with your friends and colleagues to help us create Bags of Hope together.

P.S. – We’re celebrating our volunteers and partnerships this month. Check out our April enewsletter here.