Community Effort Brings School Supplies to Kuhio Park Keiki

The Island Insurance Foundation marks nine years of back-to-school giving at Honolulu housing community.

Nearly 400 children living at the Towers at Kuhio Park received bags of new school supplies on July 17, courtesy of the Island Insurance Foundation. It is the ninth consecutive year the Foundation has outfitted the community's youngest residents ahead of the first day of school.

Keiki went home with the essentials: binders, composition books, spiral notebooks, pencil cases, scissors, glue sticks, crayons, markers, colored pencils, rulers and more, all purchased through Foundation contributions. Supplies were matched by grade level, with secondary students receiving extra items beyond what elementary and preschool keiki got, and kids choosing their own colors and styles whenever options allowed.

This year's distribution also kicked off the first Kool 4 School, a larger back-to-school celebration organized by Towers at Kuhio Park's management. The free event gave resident keiki access to physicals, eye exams, haircuts and braids, plus backpacks, athletic shoes, clothing and snacks while supplies lasted.

Members of Island Insurance's employee volunteer group, the Ho'ohana Club, helped organize and hand out supplies in the Towers' Community Hall. The Ho'ohana Club leads the company's volunteer efforts year-round, including this annual distribution.

"I personally enjoy giving back to the community by creating service opportunities like this for our team," said Eric Arguin, Claims Specialist at Island Insurance and member of the Ho'ohana Club. "We will continue to be a part of the change we want to see for future generations like today's keiki at Kuhio Park."

The need is real. The National Retail Federation estimates families nationwide will spend about $858 per K-12 student on supplies, clothing, shoes and electronics this year [1]. At Towers at Kuhio Park, where households are often large and the median annual income is roughly $15,000, that cost is a real strain, one the Foundation's ninth annual giveaway helped ease.

As this year's keiki head off to their first day with backpacks full and ready, the Island Insurance Foundation's commitment to Towers at Kuhio Park stands as a reminder that small acts of community support can make a lasting difference in a child's school year, and in the life of a neighborhood.

Reference

1. National Retail Federation. Back-to-school season begins early for majority of shoppers. NRF. Published July 15, 2025. Accessed July 20, 2026. https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/back-to-school-season-begins-early-for-majority-of-shoppers