Since retiring from corporate America, I spend much of my time supporting the nonprofit sector. This puts me in touch with needy families who struggle to cover the basics while trying to cover health care costs for family members who suffer from serious illness, parents forced to work multiple jobs, latch key children who rarely see their parents.

Aunties, grandparents or neighbors care for the luckier children, but many are on their own from the end of the school day till they return to school in the morning.

I recently was checking out at Times supermarket behind a young mother with two little girls. The mother was anxiously trying to figure out the cost of her groceries while sending food items from her cart for back to the shelf. I could see how stressful the family felt. I struggled to determine if I should offer help.

Finally when one child started to cry, I reached into my purse and took out $100 and quietly put it in the mother’s hand. She refused it with tears in her eyes but then agreed to take it and paid for her groceries. When I finished checking out, she was waiting for me outside the door to give me the change back. I insisted she keep the change and buy her girls a treat. She indicated she works for a hotel and the strike has put them seriously behind financially. We hugged, through tears and prayers. My heart breaks for these families.

Do the right thing, Hawaiʻi, and let’s start down the path to restore love, hope, charity and equal opportunity for all of Hawaiʻi’s people. Providing a $17 minimum living wage will help to restore the dignity for those who want to work hard and take care of their own.

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