Guardian Self Storage matches donations for Kauai youth programs

Every dollar donated through Guardian Self Storage’s Kauai campaign can become two dollars for local youth, with the company matching gifts dollar-for-dollar up to $10,000 through July 31.

All of the money raised, along with Guardian Self Storage’s match, will go to the Jennie T. Yukimura Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii, Kauai Endowment Fund. If the full match is unlocked, the campaign will send $20,000 to the endowment, money that can help steady programs at Boys & Girls Club sites in Līhue, Kapaa and West Kauai. The endowment is meant to provide longer-term support for meals, mentorship, academic support and leadership development, services many island families rely on after school and during school breaks.

The fund itself was established in 2022 in loving memory of JoAnn Yukimura’s mother, Jennie T. Yukimura, whose name carries a deep community history on the island. Jennie Yukimura died on March 6, 2022, at age 97. Her obituary said she retired from the State of Hawaii after serving as a social worker on Kauai’s Mental Health Children’s Team, a background that underscores why a youth endowment bears her name and why the money is aimed at programs for children who need consistent support, not just one-time charity.

For Guardian Self Storage, the campaign ties a local business to a familiar Kauai nonprofit network. Thomas Lambert, the company’s managing member, said the endowment approach is intended to create lasting impact for future generations of Kauai youth. Guardian Self Storage says it opened its first Kauai location in 2006, and state business records list Lambert as an at-will member of Island Self Storage, LLC.

The practical stakes are straightforward. If residents, families, or businesses donate before July 31 and the match is filled, the Boys & Girls Club endowment gains a larger base of support for programs serving keiki across the island. If the match is not reached, Kauai youth lose out on that added dollar-for-dollar leverage. Donations are being accepted directly at Guardian Self Storage, making the campaign a simple way to push more money into the endowment before the deadline.