Interview - Mrs. Florence Wasai
Mrs. Florence Wasai has been an active, involved Hawaii Betsuin BWA member for many years. She served as BWA president in 2015-2017, finding creative ways to fundraise for the BWA and the Betsuin as a whole. These activities included anyone in the BWA, temple sangha and the larger community. One of those efforts was referred to as “Mini-Market.” It utilized the end of service coffee hour and donations from BWA temple members. Staffed by volunteers, temple service attendees shopped to support BWA while having a cup of coffee and extending fellowship.
Here’s a brief summary of an interview Koki Atcheson had with Mrs. Wasai about Mini-Market.
Koki - What motivated you to start/stay involved with the mini-market?
Florence - Members need to pay out of pocket to benefit everyone. But the mini market was a way that the BWA could fundraise for itself. Before we only had an option to donate for their birthday.
I was also motivated by seeing the elderly folks at temple and thought they might be able to pick up something for lunch made by BWA ladies.
K- What were some things made for lunch?
F- Much of the food made at that time was things for people to eat or even rice (mazegohan) but different people might make mixed rice with various things, musubi or sushi.
K - Any other local food items donated to share or sell?
F- People were donating things from their backyard. Basically, I had an overflow of jabong. At that time I had maybe 50 jabong to put on the table, but a few others who started this with me, even if they had one papaya off their tree they would donate it.
K - Did the mini-market generate a lot of funds or donations?
F - That was our slow beginning, and in the first month we only made $100 or more. It began catching on, and we got donors from as far away as Wahiawa, Mililani. People would bring things from their backyard that they wanted to donate. One time someone had family in Kamuela who wanted to donate flowers, so we got these beautiful sakura branches.
For many people it was fun, fun for those trying to make a few things to donate. And of course, fun for those who got to pick up.
K- Anything else you might add about the donations?
F- After a while, more younger people baked cookies, bread, etc. The concentration was on things that were edible, but sometimes we would add things that were leftover from the rummage sale.
It was very easy because my feeling was that if possible I wanted everything to be gone by the time the morning was over. If I had anything that was leftover, it would be offered to the Bon Dance class on Wednesday, which used to be held for 90-something people.
I considered the whole thing donations, when people donated to sell, and when people bought, they were also donating.
K - How and what did the mini-market support the temple?
Florence -
First, the mini-market contributed HHMA statewide funding.
Women did fundraising
Then, funds from savings were donated to PBA, the mini market fund replenished the savings account
BWA members (Honolulu District) were in charge of activities
Some income went to the Kokua Fund: There was no help for participants in convention costs, so the group started kokua fund
Many paid to stay overnight at a hotel to set up for convention, 4000 or more - Co-chair Donna Higashi stayed over
The goals of the funds were to take care of the community. They were used to pay for education activities.
1/2 went to BWA treasury; 1/2 kokua fund
“Thank you to Mrs. Wasai for sharing the history of the mini market with us. Mrs. Wasai and all those who volunteered their time, donated items, and participated in previous sales built a foundation for temple community commerce upon which our online sale is built. Arigatai! ”
