Good Neighbor Fund: Mother gets back on her feet
COURTESY DZANA ALIBEGIC
Megan Riddle’s daughter, Nova, would like a miniature dollhouse or Minecoins to play the video game Minecraft and her son, Neo, would like a toy firetruck.
Megan Riddle, a full-time student at Leeward Community College and mother of two, hopes to use her own experiences and newfound education to one day become a faith-based substance abuse counselor to help others overcome struggles similar to those she faced throughout most of her life.
She is almost a year away from earning an associate degree in health information technology at LCC, where she also works part time.
“I used to drink, I used to party,” said Riddle, 30. “Now I’m going on three years sober, which I’m really breaking a huge pattern.”
Riddle, who spent her childhood in North Carolina, said her parents struggled with substance abuse for as long as she can remember. Although her grandmother took her in when she was born, Riddle recalls visiting her parents and learning how to care for her mother when she suffered hangovers and how to deal drugs from her father.
She moved out from her grandmother’s house at 14, opting to sleep at various friends’ houses from night to night. When Riddle turned 18, she signed her first lease on an apartment and began attending college. However, she said, her party ways and drug dealing led to an arrest and she had to leave school.
“It broke my heart,” said Riddle, who had ambitions of becoming a probation officer. “I went downhill from there. … I just kept selling.”
She said she continued her self-destructive lifestyle for most of her 20s, only sobering up for the nine months she was pregnant with her daughter, Nova. In 2020, Riddle moved to Hawaii to live with a man she met through an online dating site.
It was her first serious relationship and she quickly became pregnant with her second child. However, Riddle said she soon realized the man she moved in with wasn’t the person he had pretended to be online.
“I kind of got catfished,” she said. “He told me he was independent and self- sufficient but he was actually very spoiled and entitled.”
Riddle quickly sobered up when she learned she was pregnant, further affecting her relationship with her boyfriend. “It caused him shame and guilt that turned into rage and anger,” she said. “I chose to quit and it embarrassed him.”
He would often call her names, she said, throw things at her and keep her from going outside and meeting new people. He also maxed out two of Riddle’s credit cards, ruining her credit score, and drained her savings account.
She initially endured the abuse but immediately drew a line when he turned his anger toward Nova. Riddle said she reached out to a domestic violence hotline and moved into a shelter at seven months pregnant. She stayed there for about a year, giving birth to her son, Neo. Riddle said the shelter staff helped her sign up for domestic violence support groups and encouraged her to reenroll in college.
Neo is now 2 years old and Riddle homeschools Nova, who is 6. Despite her busy schedule, Riddle still finds time to take her family of three to jiu-jitsu classes. After getting her associate degree, she hopes to eventually apply to the University of Hawaii to pursue a bachelor’s degree.
“I really hope that someone reads this and they realize that you can get away, you can get out and you can start over,” she said
For Christmas, Nova would like a miniature dollhouse or Minecoins she can use to play the Minecraft video game. Neo would like a toy firetruck or other service vehicle, and Riddle said she needs new tires for her car.
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BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR
The annual Good Neighbor Fund, a charitable partnership between Helping Hands Hawaii, the Honolulu Star- Advertiser and First Hawaiian Bank, helps struggling individuals and families during the holiday season. This year under the Adopt A Family Program, more than 600 families are seeking assistance with food, clothing, toys and household items. Donations to the Good Neighbor Fund also assist Helping Hands with operational costs for the nonprofit’s Community Clearinghouse Program, which helps people with basic necessities throughout the year. The hours for Adopt A Family donations of new items are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Donations of gently used items can be dropped off at the Community Clearinghouse at 2100 N. Nimitz Highway from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays.
How to help
People can donate cash or checks to the “Good Neighbor Fund” at any First Hawaiian Bank branch statewide until Saturday. To donate specifically to Megan Riddle, include the code: DVAC-84.
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>> In loving memory of Charles and Hazue Sakamaki $4,000
>> MOTIV8 Foundation $2,500
>> In memory of George and Lynn Abe, Kailua $555
>> Cornelia Sandborn $500
>> Cynthia S. and Stanley G. Freimuth $500
>> Georgina Harbison $500
>> In loving memory of Doris M. Chun and Sylvianne L. Nakamura $500
>> In loving memory of Jeffrey K. Watanabe $500
>> In memory of Elaine Aron $500
>> In memory of Takeji and Shizue Iha $500
>> Saito Family $500
>> Yuriko J. Sugimura $500
>> From my grandchildren Bri’el and Matthew Kushiwamura and Ty and Naya Matsumoto $400
>> Elaine S. and Glenn K. Miura $300
>> In honor of Mark Lierman $300
>> Sheri K. and James N. Gusukuma $300
>> In loving memory of Families: Sagara, Takara, Uyehara $255
>> Alan K. and Bonnie L. Uyeda $250
>> Elaine E. and Lance S. Nakamura $250
>> In loving memory of Ronald F. Hata $250
>> In memory of Wayson Sr. and Marjorie Vannatta $250
>> Jolene and Stephen Chock $250
>> Laule‘a, Waimea, Keawe and Pi‘ilani Vannatta $250
>> Milton H. and Florence L. Kakaio $250
>> On behalf of our two wonderful grandchildren, Tyler and Emi Nishihara $250
>> WHS Ohana of Excellence Academy $234.66
>> Bob and Verna Maynard $200
>> In loving memory of Amy Etsuko Horibata $200
>> In loving memory of George Y.K. and Betty M.L. Yee $200
>> In loving memory of Masaji and Peter Saito $200
>> In loving memory of Wakatoshi and Aiko Nakamura $200
>> In memory of Jack Iida Jr. $200
>> In memory of Leon Y.I. Lum $200
>> In memory of Pali Joe Lee $200
>> In memory of Paul and Florence Whang $200
>> In memory of William and Virginia Kapaku $200
>> Lauren S. and Scott R. Nahme $200
>> Memory of Eric Tamura and Shinobu Kawano $200
>> Naomi T. Weinstein $200
>> Susan Migita $200
>> Gerald K. and Diane S. Sumida $150
>> Jade T. Dung $150
>> Walter and Lenora Oda $150
>> In memory of Henry and Derek Arita $125
>> Audrey Chun $102.53
>> Katherine Uyehara $102.53
>> Leslie Kikuta $102.53
>> Lisa A. Shigemura $102.53
>> Lorna Holmes $102.53
>> Lorna Hu $102.53
>> Richard and Helen Shigemura $102.53
>> Ann K. Stagnaro $100
>> Avis K.C. Lam $100
>> B.R. Burns and L. Burns $100
>> Carla and John Margenau $100
>> Clifford T. and Mae S. Fujii $100
>> Crystal S. Kawachi $100
>> Cynthia Y.H. and Philip C.C. Young $100
>> Galyn E. and Wayne T. Goto $100
>> George K.H. Lau and Associates $100
>> In honor of Nick and Marlon Kolivas $100
>> In loving memory of Angel and Mercedes Mata $100
>> In loving memory of Balbino and Antonia Gamatero $100
>> In loving memory of Douglas S.M. Fukunaga $100
>> In loving memory of John K. and Dorothy W. Kalamau $100
>> In loving memory of Sung Ho Lai $100
>> In memory of Gary K.M. Fukuda (retired fire fighter) $100
>> In memory of Harriet Kadooka $100
>> In memory of Harry and Mabel $100
>> In memory of Hung Joong “Murphy” and Ah Lin Young $100
>> In memory of Jack and Hazel Komagome $100
>> In memory of Janet Tsutomi $100
>> In memory of Kenji and Sumiko Tsutomi $100
>> In memory of Kenji and Edith Okimura $100
>> In memory of Newton Chung $100
>> In memory of Ricardo M. Garlitos $100
>> In memory of Richard and Karen Tsutomi $100
>> James Thompson and Lorraine Sakaguchi $100
>> Jamy Nakama Kaneshiro and Karl Kaneshiro $100
>> Judy K. Yanagida $100
>> Julie L Young $100
>> Karen and Glenn T. Oshiro Jr. $100
>> Kenneth and Christine Nakamatsu $100
>> Kevin, Faith, Josh, Triztan and Quinn Tom and Maribeth $100
>> Lorenzo Cayetano $100
>> Lucas, Anne, Les and Annie $100
>> Mary K. Bailey $100
>> Melanie T. Yonemura $100
>> Merry Christmas! $100
>> Michael Taketa $100
>> Molly M. Strode $100
>> Pepper, Boba, Mielle and Aria $100
>> Ronaldo and Ku‘ulei Mata $100
>> Sandra L. Morioka $100
>> Shiela Hamamoto and Keo Hamamoto $100
>> Stanley S. and Ethel Murakami $100
>> Stephen Ho $100
>> T.R. Enterprise Inc. $100
>> Thomas B.S. Chun $100
>> Violet T. and Richard T. Subiaga $100
>> In loving memory of Donald S. Shimojo and Leona K. Shimojo $75
>> Dean N. Nakamaru $60
>> George Young $51.52
>> Ma and Tsusan Ikenaga $51.52
>> Maribelle Meno $51.52
>> Russell and Satoe Ikenaga $51.52
>> Sandra Linskey $51.52
>> Abigail N. Richardson $50
>> Ethel Setsuko and Glenn Yukio Masui $50
>> Gail C. Kotaka $50
>> In memory of Ricardo F. Mata $50
>> Joann F. Sutton $50
>> Joey Nakama $50
>> Kacy Nakama Kashiyama $50
>> Lyn Nakama $50
>> Mark Villanueva $50
>> Nancy B. and Stephen Takashima $50
>> Ohana Baptist Church $50
>> Paul H. Yamaguchi $50
>> Sylvia K. Lorenz $50
>> Dane and Dacee Tsue $40
>> Merry Christmas! $40
>> Gabriella Arreola $31.11
>> Janice Kong $30
>> Nancie Ellen Caraway $25
>> Pauline T. Young $25
>> Raynette Andrade $25
>> Violet A. Yoshimura $25
>> Aurleen Kumasaka $20
>> Janet Pastore $20
>> Trudy Sugiyama $20
>> Gale Warshawsky $10.70
>> Michael Ham $10
>> Randall and Lynne Zane $10
>> Barbara Magner $5
>> Anonymous $6,152.53
>> Weekly total: $31,669.31
>> Previous week’s total: $64,253.60
>> Grand total: $95,922.91
Linsey Dower covers ethnic and cultural affairs and is a corps member of Report for America, a national service organization that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues and communities.
