This past Saturday, July 19, I had the opportunity as a member of the Rotary Club of Pearlridge (RCOP) to volunteer in Kapolei to help label and pack books for the Books4Kids project with event organizers from the Rotary Club of Kapolei Sunset.
Description
(from the Rotary Club of Kapolei Sunset Facebook page)
The Books4Kids project collects discarded but usable text and library books for distribution and use in the Philippines. It is a joint venture of the Rotary Club of Kapolei Sunset, the Rotary Club of Surigao City & the Provincial Governor of Surgaio del Norte, Sol F. Matugas. It began from a chance meeting with Governor Matugas, where she expressed a heartfelt desire to enhance the educational opportunity for children living in the remote provinces. And a year later over 6000 books have been collected or shipped.
On Saturday, volunteers worked preparing the books for shipment to the Philippines from 8:30am to 1:00pm at the Rotary Club of Kapolei Sunset's storage containers located at the Hawaii Self Storage Facility in Kapolei. Rotary Club of Kapolei Sunset volunteers packed about 7 tons of books each in the last two months leading up to Saturday.
Rotary Club of Pearlridge volunteers included President Greg Arakaki, Community Service Co-Chair Lasar McCabe and her children, Treasurer Ralph Portmore, and Aiea Interact Officers Taylor Agra, Perry Arrasmith, Jennifer Hsu, and Advisor Trisha Liu.
I would like to say mahalo to Judy White, Books4Kids coordinator from the Rotary Club of Kapolei Sunset who worked with RCOP Community Service Co-Chair Lasar McCabe to include our club's participation in the project.
Saturday's volunteer efforts was a very positive example of the synergy between the Rotary Club of Kapolei and the Rotary Club of Pearlridge as they worked together under Rotary International's principal of "Service Above Self" and how their community service oriented collaboration benefits residents here in the islands and around the world.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Over 7 tons of books were donated in support of the 2014 Books4Kids project.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Thousands of books were sorted, organized, and made ready for volunteers to label and pack for shipment.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
RCOP President Greg Arakaki (far right) is pictured with Aiea Interact Officers on Saturday,
July 19, 2014 during the Books4Kids Project held at the Hawaii Self Storage Facility in Kapolei.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
RCOP Treasurer Ralph Portmore (black shirt) is pictured with volunteers who are affixing labels to the
inside covers of each book before they are boxed and pilled upon pallets for shipment to the Philippines.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Ralph Portmore is pictured with RCOP volunteers (RCOP Community Service Co-Chair Lasar McCabe's
ohana) as they take a much deserved break from labeling and packing books for a photo op.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Mahalo to all the community volunteers who came together in support of the Rotary Club of Kapolei Sunset
and their efforts to make the Books4Kids Project a huge success for children in need in the Phillipines.