Books, toys, linens from Hawaii to help Saipan kids, CHC

Sick children at the Commonwealth Health Center will now have toys, games and books to play with thanks to a Hawaii senator and a local boy with a big heart.

A 20-foot container with 50 boxes of books, 19 bookshelves, 100 boxes of linens and 60 bags of toys is now on island, ready for distribution to Saipan public schools and the Commonwealth Health Center.

The donations were organized by Hawaii Rep. Glenn Wakai’s Reach Out Pacific and Angel Ray Guerrero, a 14-year-old boy.

Reach Out Pacific is a non-profit organization which takes surplus medical and educational supplies from Hawaii to Pacific islands, including the CNMI, Guam, Palau, the Marshall Islands, Chuuk, Yap, Kosrae, Pohnpei and the Philippines.

Guerrero spent a year-and-a-half at a hospital in Hawaii that had a playroom. The games, toys and TV helped pass the time for the kids, he said.

“They don’t feel like they’re sick. They feel like they’re at home,” Guerrero said. He added that he really enjoyed using the computers and watching DVDs to take his mind off of being in the hospital.

Guerrero began talking with Wakai about his idea to have a similar playroom at CHC. For now, there isn’t a room available for the toys but the kids will still be able to use them.

“Now that it’s coming through I’m really happy,” Guerrero said yesterday as four trucks of toys were being unloaded at the hospital.

Before the toys were donated, patients in the pediatric unit didn’t have anything to keep them busy, said Gayline Blau, acting director of Nursing.

“I think it’ll be very good for Pediatrics,” she said, adding that she would speak with her boss to try to set up a playroom.

Children on average stay two-and-a-half days at the hospital, but some stay for more than six weeks, Blau said. She said the books are great so the kids can read or be read to.

She said CHC and Secretary of Public Health Joseph Kevin Villagomez are very appreciative of the effort.

Rep. Rosemond Santos, who oversaw the offloading of the container yesterday at the FAS Moving and Storage in Lower Base, said the donation is just one of many examples of “islanders helping out islanders.”

“Despite the economic downturn, people still have a heart, and that’s important,” Santos told Saipan Tribune.

Santos said the container arrived on Saipan on April 10, and was offloaded yesterday. She and her staff started bringing the items to the Public School System and CHC yesterday.

“The linens are for the hospital, while the bookshelves and books are for PSS. The toys will be for the patients in the pediatric unit of CHC. The toys were donated with the help of Angel Ray Guerrero,” Santos added.

She said she is thankful for Reach Out Pacific for finding ways to help out the CNMI’s children and hospital.

Matson Navigation shipped the donated items free of charge, as part of their community service, Santos said.

Reach Out Pacific said the U.S. Bankruptcy Court donated the shelves as they move to storing more of their documents electronically. Shriner’s Hospital is undergoing renovations and had to dispose of a large volume of children’s clothing and toys, which have already reached Saipan. The hundreds of books came from Moanalua High School, while the 2,000 linens not used by Waikiki hotels will cover Saipan’s hospital beds.