FIFTH OF 6 PARTS

The holidays in Honolulu wouldn’t be the same without Clarence Ing.

For the past 35 years, Îng has played key roles in both the Salvation Army’s Thanksgiving Meal at Blaisdell Exhibition Hall and the Live Nativity scene at Waioli Gardens in Manoa.

"His hard work and compassion has inspired others to give and volunteer to help others throughout the organization," said Jennifer Hee, Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands executive director of development.

At age 77, Ing is one of the longest-serving Salvation Army volunteers in the islands — and one of the most valuable, too.

What makes the retiree such a valued volunteer?

He is loyal and handy, a jack-of-all-trades who has a mind of an engineer and is driven to succeed even when obstacles lie in his way.

A welder by trade, he has a wide-ranging resume that includes teaching, inspections, certifications and management. The Leilehua High School graduate, class of 1955, served in the Army, worked for a number of large corporations and unions, ran his own businesses and rose to the top of his profession.

Eventually he was recruited to manage a power plant in China, overseeing hundreds of employees.

Even when he worked in China, he came back to Oahu for his stint of holiday volunteering.

Ing began his journey with the Salvation Army when he and his wife, Jennie, sought out activities for their two sons, Darren and Ernest. As members of the Kauluwela Mission Corps, they enrolled their sons in the church’s activity groups for keiki.

As Ing became aware of the mission of the Salvation Army, he felt compelled to give back by volunteering during the holidays. He’s done so ever since, without fanfare or recognition, his service continuing despite recent setbacks that include a stroke, prostate cancer and triple bypass surgery.

Ing started out serving meals to the lonely and hungry on Thanksgiving Day. It wasn’t long before he became the event’s food coordinator, running the kitchen and making sure there was enough food for more than 2,000 people every year.

In 31⁄2 decades, he has helped serve up Thanksgiving meals to tens of thousands.

Over the years, the Thanksgiving Day event has presented many challenges, though maybe not as many as this year’s event. A food vendor had removed most of the cooking equipment from the Blaisdell kitchen, leaving Ing in a last-minute scramble to find ovens, steamers and rice cookers.

"We ran out of rice and gravy," he said, "but we made it up with stuffing."

Ing started the Manoa Live Nativity event with former Salvation Army Chaplain Jan Young 32 years ago, and he continues to be involved in the planning, making sure everything runs smoothly and safely.

"When we first started, it ran on extension cords," he said, adding that the production endured more than a few short-circuits and other logistical problems. "We learned a lot of lessons."

But he’s proud of the tradition it has become.

"People come year after year. It’s a blessing to a lot of people," he said. "It’s God’s blessing, not mine."

Ing not only takes care of the volunteer actors who share the Christmas story each year but also arranges to rent the barnyard animals.

There have been a few misadventures involving the animals over the years, he said. Sometimes shepherds leave the gate open by accident, and sheep and horses wander into the neighborhood.

"I would never get another ram," Ing said. "They’re too mean."

Crew members, he recalled, thought they had this particular ram cornered a few years back. A volunteer was blocking the gate, but then the ram put his head down and started to charge. The volunteer dove out of the way to prevent some personal carnage.

The crew eventually corralled the ram down the street.

"It can be a mess, but it’s a lot of fun," he said.