When it comes to gift-giving, you aren’t likely to find anyone quite on the level of Sally Okura Lee in your grab-bag pool or Secret Santa circle.

Heck, the jolly one himself would have to concede that, elfin magic notwithstanding, no made-in-the-North-Pole gift could mean more on Christmas morning than the comfort, assurance and loving environment that Okura Lee has worked tirelessly to provide for hundreds of Hawaii children.

"I want every child to be with parents who will love them unconditionally, through all of the ups and downs of life, for as long as they live," says Okura Lee, a social worker specializing in counseling and adoption services for LDS Family Services.

Over the last 31 years, Okura Lee has helped hundreds of children find good homes. She values the open communication between birth and adoptive parents possible through the open-adoption process because "the circle of love is bigger."

"I have really great compassion for unwed mothers, who truly make the biggest sacrifice that anyone can make in placing a child," she says. "I know their struggles, and I want to help make sure that their lives go well."

Lee, 62, was born in Hilo, the third of five children. She earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from Brigham Young University and a master’s in the same field from the University of Hawaii.

It was at UH, on her first day on Oahu, that Okura Lee met her future husband, Abe. The couple have six children and four grandchildren. Over the years they have also taken in some 45 foster children — without any financial assistance or compensation.

"I’m not sure how it started," Okura Lee says, laughing. "It just happened. We try to provide a safe haven for people who need a place to stay."

Okura Lee has earned just recognition for her efforts at work and at home. She was the Hawaii State Mother of the Year in 2006, the same year she received the national Angel in Adoption Award. Though appreciative, Okura Lee addresses both with the same enthusiasm cats have for baths.

"Ugh!" she says. "That’s not me. I don’t want to talk about that."

Okura Lee has remained steadfast despite serious personal challenges. In addition to the emotional toll exacted by the heart-rending situations she encounters daily, Okura Lee has also battled through advanced breast cancer and, in just the last year, two near-fatal heart-related emergencies.

The experiences have only strengthened her resolve.

"Every single person has value and is of great worth," she says. "But life is tough, and we have to be there for each other and lift each other up."

Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@staradvertiser.com.