Adopt a Family 2025: A Gift of Stability
This holiday season, the Carlisle family received the gift of relief, stability, and a renewed sense of possibility.
Through Helping Hands Hawai‘i’s Adopt a Family 2025 event, caregiver Chastidy Carlisle received a refurbished 2018 Honda Civic, giving her family reliable transportation when they needed it most.
Chastidy relocated her family from California to Hawaii to care for her mother, who is currently battling cancer. Without a vehicle, everyday responsibilities like getting to medical appointments, commuting to work, and caring for her family required constant coordination and added stress. In her Adopt a Family application, she shared how access to reliable transportation would dramatically improve her family’s quality of life.
When Chastidy and her 13-year-old daughter were handed the keys, the tearful moment was filled with gratitude.
“This means freedom and peace, stability, and the ability to move forward,” Chastidy shared. “It eases the anxiety of day-to-day struggles and public transportation. This takes us from a state of surviving to being able to live life.”
This car donation was made possible through the generosity and collaboration of community partners, including First Insurance Company of Hawaii (FICOH) and UNIBODY Autotech, with additional support from Pacific Honda, Prism Group, NAPA, PPG Paints, and Copart. The vehicle was refurbished and presented at UNIBODY Autotech’s Waimanu Street location.
This year marked the 10th year Helping Hands Hawai‘i has partnered with FICOH and UNIBODY Autotech to provide a vehicle to a family in need through Adopt a Family. Over the past decade, this partnership has helped remove a major barrier to stability for caregivers and families during difficult seasons.
Reliable transportation reduces stress, increases access to care, and supports long-term stability. For Chastidy and her family, this gift represents renewed independence and hope for the future.
Helping Hands Hawai‘i extends a sincere mahalo to the partners who made this possible and to the community members who continue to support families through Adopt a Family each year.
