Pier 1 Imports is donating a $5,000 room makeover to the Child and Family Service West Hawaii Domestic Abuse Shelter. From left: Heidi Koop, director of Big Island Child and Family Services programs; Sharon Leite, Pier 1 executive vice president; Jeffrey Trinh, Hawaii regional manager; and Jenna Criswell, Kona store manager. (Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

MEDIA RELEASE

As part of the grand opening celebration taking place Saturday, July 21 and Sunday, July 22 for its new Kailua-Kona store, Pier 1 Imports has announced it will provide a free room makeover for the Child & Family Service’s West Hawaii Domestic Abuse Shelter.

The 24-hour facility provides emergency shelter, food, transportation and counseling for abused partners and their children. More than $5,000 in Pier 1 Imports furniture and home accessories is being donated to enhance the West Hawaii Domestic Abuse Shelter’s common areas.

Volunteers from the Pier 1 Imports Kailua-Kona store will help to install and oversee the room makeover, which will be unveiled in August.

“On behalf of the staff and clients of Child & Family Service, we would like to thank Pier 1 Imports for their generous contribution to the West Hawaii Domestic Abuse Shelter,” said Howard Garval, president and chief executive officer of Child & Family Service. “Pier 1 Imports has helped to create a safe haven where families affected by physical and emotional abuse can feel protected and at home.”

In addition to providing shelter for its clients, the West Hawaii Domestic Abuse Shelter also provides support group facilitation, HIV information and testing, skill workshops, and programs where clients can learn about the dynamics of domestic violence, the cycle of abuse and how to develop a “safety plan.”

“Pier 1 Imports is dedicated to supporting the communities in which our associates live and work,” said Alex W. Smith, Pier 1 Imports president and chief executive officer. “We are honored to have the opportunity to partner with Child & Family Service to brighten up their community living space.”

Pier 1 Imports is continuing its relationship with Child & Family Service with the Kona room makeover. When it opened its Pearl Highlands Center store in 2004, Pier 1 donated a room makeover to Ka Pa Ola, a Child & Family Service group home for girls on Oahu.

Child & Family Service (CFS) is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1899. Dedicated to the mission of strengthening families and fostering the healthy development of children in Hawaii for more than 110 years, CFS offers more than 30 programs focused on the prevention and intervention of child abuse, elder abuse, and domestic violence.

CFS improves the lives of children, youth, families, seniors and their caregivers through programs accessed via neighborhood family centers on Oahu, Maui and Kauai; an alternative high school on Oahu; four domestic violence shelters located on Oahu and the Big Island; group and foster homes; and through private counseling services.

To celebrate the grand opening, the first 1,000 shoppers on Saturday and Sunday will receive a free signature reusable bag and an iconic Pier 1 Imports backscratcher.

Additionally, 94.7 FM (Hilo) and 101.5 FM (Kona) will host a live radio remote event 1-3 p.m. Saturday, July 21.

Attendees will have the opportunity to receive free Pier 1 Imports’ products, as well as gift cards.

The Kona Coast Shopping Center will also host its Summer Celebration 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, July 21 with free hot dogs, popcorn and cotton candy (while supplies last), keiki activities and entertainment by the Island Boys and local hula halau.

The Kailua-Kona store is the fifth Pier 1 Imports location in Hawaii, and the first to feature the company’s new store concept. Pier 1 Imports has three stores on Oahu ( Honolulu, Kailua and Pearl City) and one on Maui in Kahului. Pier 1 Imports opened its first Hawaii store at Ward Centers in Honolulu in 1998.

Pier 1 Imports unveiled its new store concept last fall. The new store design is a natural evolution of the Pier 1 Imports experience that utilizes a new interior finish-out, including natural-colored floor tiles, rustic ceiling elements, enhanced store lighting and lit shelving units lining the walls, all of which help customers visualize the end-use of the products within their own home.

The new look is complemented by the use of “open stock” merchandising, designed to enhance the shopping environment by giving customers the opportunity to see, feel and interact with the product.

The exterior design features a signature bamboo door with rustic metal door handles that will mark the entrance to
Pier 1 Imports’ unique shopping experience.

The features of the new store will allow easier navigation, all while maintaining the “treasure hunt” feel and continuing to make Pier 1 Imports a great place for discovery and spending time browsing.

Pier 1 Imports is dedicated to supporting the communities in which its associates live and work, as well as the international community from where it imports much of its merchandise.

Since 1985, Pier 1 Imports has contributed more than $37 million to philanthropic organizations through international, national and local efforts including UNICEF (the United Nations Children’s Fund) and the United Way.

— Find out more:
www.pier1.com