One Boys Wish
| Sunday, 25 December 2005 00:00 |
| Foundation inspired by late Jonathan Miller delivers donated food, presents to needy Big Island families All 9-year-old Jonathan Miller wanted was to help feed the hungry and give Christmas presents to children who would otherwise not receive any. The young boy's wish came true -- despite his death at the age of 10. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas for the past seven years, Jonathan Dale Miller Foundation volunteers, known as Jonathan's Helpers, have delivered food boxes and brightly wrapped Christmas gifts to Big Island families who are in need. "There are an awful lot of kids who have fallen through the cracks, and those are the ones Jonathan wanted to help," said volunteer Maggie Gerber. "We've delivered presents to children living in cars, tents, places you couldn't imagine. It really hits you when you realize those children wouldn't get anything if it wasn't for this (outreach)." In December 1998, Jonathan was diagnosed with adrenoleukodystrophy, a rare and progressive disorder that occurs when the adrenal gland malfunctions, slowly damaging the white matter in the brain, the connection and insulation around it. Jonathan lived in Arizona with his mother and sisters, but spent the summers with his grandparents, George and Sharon Handgis, in Kona. While the foundation's primary effort is focused on the Big Island, Jonathan's Arizona family has a similar outreach in his hometown. Sharon Handgis works with county and state agencies to identify the families in need. Each family is interviewed, to ensure the gifts are child-specific. "Most of the children's requests are so simple, like blankets, slippers, a toothbrush," George Handgis said. The foundation collects monetary donations from individuals everywhere. As there are no administrative costs, 100 percent of the money donated is used to buy food and presents, George Handgis said. In addition to the holiday deliveries, the foundation provides food to families throughout the year. At Thanksgiving, the food boxes have rainbows, hearts and butterflies painted on them, and at Christmas, each food box and present is wrapped, with Jonathan's name as the giver. The food boxes contain varied foods, including a ham or turkey, cookies, Spam, canned fruit and vegetables, peanut butter and jelly and more. More than seven tons of food were delivered at Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, and more than 100 families received Christmas presents, George Handgis said. "I've been told that good comes from everything, but I could never imagine good coming from the passing of such an angelic child. But if it wasn't for his passing and wish, there'd be hundreds of people going to bed hungry and hundreds of children without a Christmas present," George Handgis said. "People often tell my wife that she's an angel, but she just says, 'No, (Jonathan) wrote the music. We're just singing the tune.'" Gerber has been involved since the foundation's creation, and she plans on helping as long as she can. "Every time you go to one of the (gift) wrapping parties, the high you get, not only from what you're doing, but the people you're doing it with, is magic," she said. "There's so much energy going around and we keep growing. I'm very thankful I get a chance to participate." Volunteer Darl Gleed said what makes the foundation so special is that it is low key, and they are not looking for praise or attention. "You don't hear much about (Miller's) work because we always believed an angel's wings beat silently," George Handgis said. "(The foundation) is not about us, but it's about the people who help (Jonathan's Helpers) and the people who are being helped." "It's what Jonathan wanted," said 16-year-old Mitchell Gleed, a close friend of Jonathan's and a volunteer. "It's a neat experience and I'm sure he'd be really proud of what this organization has been doing -- helping out the kids who don't have a Christmas." |