Back (from left to right): Jennifer Koon, Spa and Recreation Director at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach; Jason White, Director of Operations at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach; Robin Kumabe, Executive Director of Touch A Heart. Front (from left to right): Kupuna and Family Meals customers Sharon and her mother Ethel.
On behalf of all of us at Touch A Heart and The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach, thank you for joining us for the special experience last Wednesday, September 28. It brought us great joy to see so many of you enjoy a different flavor to our Kupuna and Family Meals pickups at Kalihi Union Church and Pearl City Community Church.
We extend a warm mahalo to Jamal, Jason, Jennifer, and Te'o of The Ritz-Carlton for greeting our customers and sharing with them about the opportunity to further support Touch A Heart. At Kalihi Union Church, we were treated to a special visit by Ethel, who was featured in our appeal letter, and her daughter Sharon. They usually stay in the car while we bring their order out, but this time, Sharon brought Ethel into the gym in a wheelchair. Needless to say, this moment touched all of our hearts.
"We want to continue to evolve together with Touch A Heart and with the vision that we both have and for what we all want to do. This draws us closer together as a team and to the community," said Jennifer Koon, Spa and Recreation Director at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach. "We can share this with our guests and expose them to things that they might never experience. This deepens our connections to the islands and our sense of place because people are the place."
The Ritz-Carlton partners with organizations that align with their values. They've seen the transformative elements of Touch A Heart and want to be part of our ongoing efforts.
"We're authentically trying to experience things together with Touch A Heart, and we get such joy that we become a family," Jennifer added. "It draws us together as people, and there's such beauty, profoundness, and experience that we have such similar aims. There's an emotional, personal, and authentic connection. That's really why we're here—to make the world a better place."
We're thrilled to announce that The Ritz-Carlton team will be volunteering with us throughout the holiday season to help with Baker's Heart, and we look forward to sharing more details with you very soon.