Easter Basket Drive 2010

In Photo: Rep. Marilyn Lee passes Rep. Cynthia Thielen a creative "basket" for the Institute of Human Services (IHS).

Members of the Women's Legislative Caucus helped to load a truck full of ~160 Easter baskets filled with essential items for needy families at the chamber level turnaround of the Hawaii State Capitol on Thursday, April 1, 2010.

Each year, the caucus holds an Easter Basket Project and puts out a call for Easter baskets or plastic storage containers filled with personal hygiene items, toiletries and non-perishable snacks to benefit clients of Institute of Human Services (IHS). This year IHS also requested supplies for their new keiki garden.

The caucus collected 210 baskets last year and 223 baskets in 2008.

IHS is Hawaii’s largest emergency shelter for people who are homeless, serving up to 200 men, 100 individual women and 23-27 families (with up to 60 keiki) every night. Through community support, IHS provides guests with toiletries, three hot nutritious meals a day, safe shelter, housing, employment, and supportive services.