People Helping People

Originally from Sherwood,
Oregon, Donna Smith was
drawn to Maui 32 years ago
by warm weather and the
picturesque beauty of our
island paradise. A Kaiser
lab tech for 17 years, Donna
was confident that upon
retirement God would give
her something meaningful to
do in her “golden years.”

In March 2007, a dire need
came to Donna’s attention.
It began at a local high school
on Maui which sponsored
a counseling program called Choices. The counselor
heading up Choices had encountered a challenging
situation. Many teens that had enrolled in the program
were facing a daily hunger crisis. A high percentage of
these kids were receiving less than one meal a day. Some
of the boys were losing their hair due to malnutrition.
One girl with a 4.0 GPA hadn’t eaten in 2 days. Several
kids were climbing into dumpsters behind local
restaurants to gather food to eat.

A faithful member of Kihei Lutheran Church, Donna
made a presentation to her congregation thinking that
their community outreach program just might be the
perfect solution to the needs of these teens who were
suffering the effects of hunger. Hearts were touched and
the church was eager to help.

A budget was created for Donna and her first action
step was a trip to Costco. Donna soon discovered that
she could sign up to become an agency with the Maui
Food Bank and have access to food to supplement her
program—beneficial foods like protein, sandwiches,
energy bars, and fruit juices. The counselor distributed
the food in the classroom. Donna’s church also
purchased a microwave, toaster, fridge, freezer, and paper
products for the Choices program. So far, 30 of the teens
from poor families have graduated.

Donna says that all the kids are so grateful for what she
and others are doing for them. Not only does Choices
provide food for the body, but they also provide food for
the soul. One boy wrote, “Dear Choices Supporters, I
would like to thank you for supporting our group with
gifts of love. Without Choices I would be making wrong
ones.…” A teenage girl wrote, “Words cannot express
how much appreciation is in my heart. What you do for
us is awesome.”

Donna tells us that some of these kids sneak away from
home to go to school because their parents want them to
quit their studies and go to work. The majority of them
are homeless and some have no idea where their parents
are. At Choices, these teens receive kindness without
judgment. Donna Smith and Kihei Lutheran Church
believe that “kids” of this generation, if nurtured and cared
for, will become the civic-minded adults of the next
generation. They are confident that the kids they help
will pass on the same spirit of generosity to others that has been
expressed to them.