Question: Do you know of any person, group or organization that can use the small clear orange plastic pill bottles with the childproof caps? My husband takes a lot of pills for health reasons, and we have a large number of these empty bottles that we can donate.
Q: My mom was an avid sewer/crafter with a lot of fabric, ribbon, lace, notions, etc. She died last year, and I couldn’t part with her stuff but since we’ve sold her place I must — I don’t craft and have no storage room. I would like to find them a good home.
Answer: Marilyn Gilbert, the Kailua woman who volunteers year-round filling shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, accepts these items and many more, she said in an email Wednesday, thanking Kokua Line readers for contributing to many thousands of gift boxes over the years. Below is an abbreviated list of items she accepts — ribbon lei recycled from graduations and other celebrations are a new addition. To confirm that Gilbert can accept your items and to arrange to drop them off, contact her directly, by email at gil.aloha@hawaiiantel.net or by phone at 808-261-6087.
>> Pill containers with caps: “We love to get empty, clean prescription bottles, which we use for a wide range of items, mostly to make sewing kits. We put in thread, needles, trims, tape measure, buttons, etc.” for recipients to use in sewing projects. “We appreciate getting clean bottles with no sticky residue from the labels,” she said.
>> Sewing and crafting supplies: Buttons, needles, safety pins, trims, thread and other notions, for the sewing kits. Fabric and yarn. Pony beads, ribbons and other crafting supplies.
>> Ribbon lei. “One kind person donated a box of beautiful ribbon lei that her granddaughter received at graduation. Wow! What a great idea for the shoeboxes. Would you please pass along this idea to your Kokua Line faithful readers? If anyone has artificial/ribbon lei left after the graduation party, please pass them along to us to use in the boxes,” Gilbert said.
>> Stationery and calendars, such as the type nonprofit organizations send to prospective donors. “I really love getting the cards with the envelopes, the stickers, calendars (year isn’t that important as the children love the pictures on the large calendars), notepads — some charities send out socks, gloves, pot holders and other items, which are also used in the shoeboxes,” Gilbert said.
>> Small toys, such as unopened ones from McDonald’s Happy Meals
>> School supplies. “I would love to give a shout-out to Tish at the Customer Service Department at Target Kailua – she has been so kind to order me cases of crayons ($.25 per box), which is always a huge plus for the children to receive in their shoeboxes,” Gilbert said.
>> New, deflated soccer balls and pumps, for children ages 5 to 14.
>> Personal hygiene items, which must be new, such as soap, toothbrushes, dental floss, hairbrushes and combs.
>> Children’s socks and underwear (new).
So far in 2024, one group Gilbert volunteers with has packed 3,600 shoeboxes, which will be distributed to needy children around the world through Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an evangelical Christian relief organization. Gilbert collects, makes and packages gifts for the ministry, including by using recycled Christmas card fronts to decorate the outside of the shoeboxes containing the gifts.
Mahalo
Mahalo to the gentleman who helped me with the vehicle registration renewal process at the self-service kiosk at the Kapahulu Safeway on Wednesday. He had just gotten done with his renewal when I stepped up to begin mine. It was obvious it was my first time using the kiosk, and he stayed and helped, going through all the steps until I got my registration certificate and sticker. I’m so impressed that he so kindly took the time. — Grateful reader
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
