KAHULUI -- Even through these tough economic times, Maui residents, businesses and nonprofit organizations say they are digging extra deep into their pockets to ensure children and the needy have a great Christmas.
"We might not have anything under the tree, but days like this, this is the Christmas gift," said Daniel Southmayd, co-owner of Catering from Soup to Nuts Inc., which catered Imua Family Services' client Christmas party of more than 300 people last week.
As workers were busy preparing the Christmas meal, Southmayd said business is down 30 percent this year, but employees still wanted to give Imua a discount for its annual party for children with special needs.
"Our business was doing OK until two months ago. Then we really took a nose dive as so many have done," he said.
Southmayd said he and co-owner/chef Ralph Giles have saved money and have also given up some of their personal funds to help pay for the party, which was done for the cost of the food only. Giles is also an Imua board member.
Southmayd said he and Giles wanted to give back to the community.
"Maui has given so much to us over the years," he said.
Nationally, nonprofits are struggling with the double whammy of a sour economy generating more demand for their services while donations have decreased.
But that may be only partly true for Maui as clubs, businesses and church groups have been credited for supporting many Maui nonprofits this holiday season, making the Maui community truly no ka oi.
The Rotary Club of Kahului used its club's funds for a pizza party at the Wailuku Head Start "A" Program. Club members also purchased gifts with their personal funds so around 25 students could get a present they wanted.
"The way I look at it, the nonprofit will provide a service that is so needy. . . . If you can give what you can give, you keep on giving," said club member Lisa Rodrigues.
At Kimo's restaurant in Lahaina, 120 employees each donated at least one toy for the Imua party.
Kimo's General Manager Chris Almeroth acknowledged that although employees' tips dropped with business being down, the employees stepped up to the plate.
Almeroth said he did not ask his employees to spend $50, but instead asked them to give what they could.
One employee brought in 20 gifts, and the restaurant's patrons also brought in gifts to support Kimo's toy drive, he said.
Kimo's, along with other TS-owned restaurants on Maui - the Hula Grill and Leilani's on the Beach - teamed up to collect more than 300 gifts for the Imua party.
"Wow! Even with everything going on, they are still giving," said Maylee Watanabe, a parent of an Imua child attending the Christmas party last week.
"We are very grateful for them," Watanabe said as her 5-year-old daughter, Ilihia Tawney, played with colorful toy ponies she received from the restaurants' toys drive.
Local businesses and individuals also pitched in to fund the Maui Family Support Services holiday party this year. It also was threatened because of a lack of funds.
The nonprofit agency that offers programs that strengthens families lost a half-million dollars in state funding and had to cut its staff. It also saw its demand for services rise.
Even the Maui Food Bank, which had experienced a dip in donations and saw an increased need for help this year, has received holiday donations beyond the nonprofit's expectations.
"This has been absolutely fantastic. The response from the community has been amazing," said Marlene Rice, development director at the Maui Food Bank. "We were very concerned because of the economy because food banks across the country are really hurting. Maui is truly a community, and everybody went beyond and above to make sure nobody went hungry over the holidays."
Rice said the number of holiday food drives increased from 210 last year to 260 this year. The food bank is still tallying the food brought in from the drives.
Among its larger donors was the Kaanapali Beach Resort, which collected 31,690 pounds of food plus grocery gift cards for the food bank.
Rice said that although some previous donors could not give as much as in the past, the food bank received donations from new sources and also got donations from people stopping by in person at its Wailuku offices.
"Normally in the past, we wouldn't experience that," Rice said of the walk-in donors.
No one needs to tell Becky Woods of the Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Center about how Maui residents support needy organizations.
After a public plea was made about a week ago for people to donate children's gifts to the homeless shelter, Woods said she has been flooded with toy donations. She has enough now to fill the shelter's library.
The shelter had so many toys that it shared some with other nonprofits, the Maui Farm and Women Helping Women.
"It has been so overwhelming," said Woods, the center's executive director. "We are so amazed."
She doesn't need toys now, but she is looking for contributions of diapers and formula to help families at the homeless center.
The initial plea for toys was made after donors, who were hit hard financially this year, said they could not help out as they had in years past.
Then the floodgates opened as radio stations also publicized the need, and people from the Mainland and even other Neighbor Islands rushed to give money, their time and even their own toys to the shelter.
"We have been crying all week from the stories we hear," Woods said explaining the personal tales behind people's reasons for giving.
She said a senior citizen gave his old nutcracker; a Japanese woman gave the shelter antique toy cars; and a young boy came to the shelter to give up his own toy.
Maui Child Toys and Books in Makawao also ran an e-mail notice saying it was offering Hawaiian Barbie dolls at half price if they were bought for the shelter.
Woods is thankful for everyone's help, and whether they brought a gift or not.
"Some of them don't have anything, but they called to say they wanted to help out. I want to thank those people as well. It's not so much about the giving, it's just the thought and realizing people need each other during the holiday," Woods said.
Although Woods was amazed by the generosity of others, Karen Jayne, executive director of Imua, said she knows how the community pulls through.
"We never doubted this," Jayne said as she was set to serve dinner to more than 300 people at the organization's Christmas party at the Maui Community College's Pa'ina building. "The community pulls though for Imua."
Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.
