Matson donates gingerbread house kits to Easterseals Hawai‘i families

Matson provided more than 300 gingerbread house kits to Easterseals Hawaii families this Christmas, continuing a partnership that has spanned more than 60 years.

While Matson historically hosted Christmas parties at Easterseals Hawaii Early Intervention centers across the state, the format of the celebration evolved in 2020. The shift was designed to accommodate the specific needs of the families served by the nonprofit.

Easterseals Hawaii serves individuals ranging from keiki to kūpuna with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Their offerings include early intervention, autism services, adult home and community-based services, and employment services.

Patrick Klein, Easterseals Hawaii vice president of programs, noted that the sensory environment of traditional holiday celebrations can be difficult for some of their clients.

“For some of the keiki and families we serve, the holidays can be overwhelming,” Klein said. “Some of the things many of us love – the lights, decorations, Santa – can overstimulate a child with autism. During the holidays, we try to find ways to celebrate in a way that works for our keiki and Matson has been a long-standing partner with us.”

In addition to distributing the gingerbread kits this season, the organization held a contest where families submitted photos of their completed houses. Ten submissions were randomly selected to win gift cards.

The nonprofit serves more than 2,000 families and provides approximately 780 hours of care daily at locations throughout Hawai‘i.

Ku‘uhaku Park, Matson senior vice president of government and community relations, said the company values the long-term relationship with the service provider.

“This partnership with Easterseals Hawaii has meant so much to us to give kids and families a little extra joy during the holidays,” Park said. “For Matson, it’s important to us to support nonprofits that are caring for our local families, and Easterseals Hawaii has been doing that for more than 75 years. We are grateful for all they do in our community and look forward to continuing our partnership.”