KKV’s Maternal Child Health Team Abundance
On Thursday, March 24th KKV held its 4th donation pop-up event at the Towers of Kuhio Park (KPT) organized by Pearl Sheck of KKV’s KPT clinic, Daisy Park from medical billing, and Diena Peterson of MCH. KKV’s organizers partnered with Anni Peterson of Better Tomorrows who oversees events at KPT, Parents and Children Together (PACT), Hawaii Literacy, Catholic Charities EID Program, and Project Vision of Hawaii.
Pictured above are Raimy Kansou (L) and Elizabeth Aten (R) of KKV’s Maternal Child Health program. They were stationed at the Women, Infant, Children (WIC) booth where parents could sign up for supplemental nutrition benefits including, food, health care referrals, and nutrition education for pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and for infants and children up to age 5.
Photos are by Kyleigh Lilo of Venturebel Media who volunteered to shoot at the event.
The idea for the popup events started as a conversation between Daisy and Diena, who discovered a shared passion to support community. They set up their first event at KPT for KKV’s 2021 staff retreat.
Both Diena and Daisy grew up in Kalihi and have a youthful and entrepreneurial spirit. They matched community need with the trend towards recycling and sharing. The shopping experience allowed people to choose what they need and what they like, moving away from old-school charity experiences. For the Aloha Spring market, they added Pearl Sheck, KKV’s new Community Coordinator at KPT, to the team.
For the March event, KKV partnered with Anni Peterson at Better Tomorrows, who oversees events at KPT; Parents and Children Together (PACT), with offices on-site and the Head Start program for KPT families; Hawaii Literacy, helping children prepare for & succeed in school, giving adults a second chance to learn to read and write, and providing books and mentors in community; Catholic Charities EID Program; and Project Vision of Hawaii, providing mobile vision care across the state.
Donations for the popup came from KKV staff, donors, and community members. Participants of all ages were also able to receive eye exams with reading glasses & prescription glasses, children's diaper assistance services, and get connected to all the different MCH support services KKV provides.
Future pop-up events are planned quarterly throughout the year. All donations must be arranged with Diena dpeterson@kkv.net, Daisy dpark@kkv.net, or Pearl psheck@kkv.net in advance. The team is looking for new or gently used clothing/shoes/accessories, houseware, bedding (sheet sets, blankets), bath towels and toiletries, school supplies, books (especially for children), and toys.
