Courtesy Photo | SCHOFIELD BARRACKS — The board of the Hui 'O Na Wahine spouses club held its...... read more read more
SCHOFIELD BARRACKS — When 2nd Lt. Mariah Caid-Loos of the 84th Engineer Battalion came to the Hui ‘O Na Wahine Thrift Shop, Jan. 20, she was looking for affordable furniture for her new home. She’d previously found a desk and chair for $33; that day she left with more chairs.
“It’s a great way to furnish your home without spending a lot of money,” she said. “(The thrift store) has really good prices.”
Military spouse Jenna Goodspeed said she visits the thrift store weekly to hunt down deals, such as the $8 push car she found for her son.
“Usually (push cars) go for $40,” she said.
By shopping at the thrift store, not only are Caid-Loos and Goodspeed getting deals on everyday items, they’re also supporting Hui ‘O Na Wahine military spouses club’s scholarships and welfare grants, which benefit individuals and organizations in Hawaii’s military community. All profits from the thrift store are reinvested into the community through these grants.
Supporting the community
One of the organizations to benefit from the Hui’s welfare grant is the Fisher House Foundation, which runs two houses at Tripler Army Medical Center. The houses provide a place for families of service members to stay free of charge while their loved ones undergo medical treatment.
“The grant money is used to continue the high level environment we provide for our families; (it) helps us provide … food, paper products, personal hygiene items and maintain the furniture and comfort items in the home,” said Anita Clingerman, manager of the Fisher Houses. “With the support of the Hui, we have been able to continue the support of the families we serve (and) also connect our military community to truly be a part of the Fisher House.”
This year, to celebrate its 85th anniversary, the Hui set out to raise $85,000 between June 2016 and May 2017 for its scholarships and welfare grants, said Britt Flather, the Hui’s president. However, it’s already exceeded that goal and is on track to reach $115,000 by May.
By comparison, last year, the Hui raised about $50,000 during its fundraising period between June 2015 and May 2016, she added.
There is no strict limit to the number of scholarship and grant awardees, but in accordance with the Hui’s bylaws, a certain percentage of funds are earmarked for individuals and organizations on Schofield Barracks, and then for those in the wider military community in Hawaii, and finally for national organizations that support military families.
“What I really love about this year is we added a true grit portion to scholarship (application),” Flather said. “You don’t have to get a 4.0. to get our scholarship. A lot of (our applicants) may have had both parents deployed; they may have had to work part-time and help take care of younger siblings.
“They may have faced hardships that prevented them from getting a 4.0; that’s why we added that true grit area to strengthen their application,” she added. “We want to hear about what they’ve overcome and what they plan to do with their scholarship. And volunteering is very important to us, so we want them to show us what they’ve been doing to strengthen their ties to the community here in Hawaii.”
While the thrift store is a major source of fundraising for the Hui, it also hosts social functions, such as the Fifth Annual Spouse’s Mock Dining In at the Leilehua Golf Course in March. This dinner and open house doubles as a benefit that allows current members to invite potential members to join. Attendees buy “opportunity tickets” for a chance to win prizes and the proceeds are donated to the scholarship and grant funds.
Hui history and future
The Hui began in 1931 as an officers’ wives club that focused primarily on social functions. It has evolved over the years to include spouses of all ranks in all branches of the military, and its emphasis is now on community outreach and volunteering.
“Military life, in general, can be very hard on the family,” Flather said. “I joined the Hui because when I got here I did not know a single person. My husband and I were newlyweds. I was new to the Army lifestyle and being a spouse. Getting to meet people and learn from them was such a relief. It helps you establish ties in the community.”
She also encouraged more men to join the club.
“We have had male spouses on the board before, but unfortunately, none this year. But we are more than open to it. We are friendly and open to all genders and sexes. It doesn’t matter what your gender is, what your sexual orientation is. If you are married to a service member, you are more than welcome.
“We are looking forward to having males join because there are so many female active duty service members with husbands in college, and if they joined they would be eligible for our scholarships,” she added.
| Date Taken: | 01.26.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 01.26.2017 16:19 |
| Story ID: | 221545 |
| Location: | SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 106 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Hui Thrift Shop benefits community, by Karen Iwamoto, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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