In 2013 a close relative of mine was victimized by crime. He was a yard worker/repairman and drove a van that was bursting with a lifetime of tools and equipment.  It was stolen one night, and found abandoned a day later.  All of his tools and equipment had  been stolen...seriously affecting the ability to provide for his family.

As a fan of new social technology and years of experience from online forum administration , I felt that there was an opportunity to take advantage of Facebook's ability to bring people together as well as its capability to spread information at light speed.   What if we used that power and applied it to helping those who have been victimized by crime?

So in February 2014, on a hunch I created the Facebook group Stolen Stuff Hawaii.  Since that time...we have grown in leaps and bounds.  As of this posting we have over 72,000 members and are adding 200+ vetted and real Hawaii state citizens every day.

But that's not the amazing part...the amazing part is that this "experiment" has been more successful than I ever could have imagined.  Together, our group members have helped thousands of people who have been victimized by crime by finding their stolen property, identifying and reporting criminals,  and providing support in their time of need. We have reunited hundreds of animals with their pet owners in addition to returning found property such as wallets and jewelry. 

Our group is making a huge impact...and it's felt all over the State of Hawaii. So much so that in August 2016, SSH was recognized by the City & County of Honolulu for outstanding community service.  We strongly support our local law enforcement and as a result are regurarly visited by many officers and detectives who use our group to catch the bad guys!  We have been instrumental in helping to solve many crimes thanks to our members.

Stolen Stuff Hawaii is well moderated by a tireless force of volunteer professionals who take time out of their day to help members as well as provide regulation to prevent hostility from overcoming our positive reputation.  We are not paid for our work, nor do we feel that it's entirely necessary.

However, it has come to a point in time where I feel that this unofficial organization can do even more for our community.  We want to help more, we want to support more, we want to help to enact legislation that will support our communities, and we want to be able to extend our reach well beyond our current levels. We want to change the face of Hawaii for the better and make our islands SAFER for our loved ones.

To do this legimately and responsibly, I believe it's extremely important to create a non-profit organization that will be able to provide protection for our moderators, for the group itself,  our trademark name and enable us to operate as an official corporation that can do MORE!

I will admit that although I have the drive and the experience necessary to run SSH, I simply don't have the funds to bring it to the next level of organization.  I have attempted to do this myself, but living in Hawaii makes it hard for me to focus on anything but providing for my family.  My team already invests hundreds of hours a week monitoring and regulating SSH and I do not want to burden them more nor can I honestly impose on my own wife and family further.

That is why I have created this GoFundMe. Creating a fully functioning non-profit with trademark will cost over $1500 in legal fees and filing fees.  With your help, I hope to raise enough funds to turn SSH into a fully-functional 501(c)(3). 

As a non-profit, our reach will become limitless...we will be able to make greater change and help more people.  If you are a member of Stolen Stuff Hawaii, then I believe the majority of you understand just how hard I have worked and how much I care about helping our community stand strong against crime.  

I'm asking for your help now.   The money collected will immediately go towards creating this non-profit and any remaining collected funds will go towards creating literature, shirts, stickers, and other items that will allow us to advertise SSH to our comunity further to fully cement our creation.  These items will be given away for free as well with donaters as priority.

Those of you who donate to this cause will be permanently recognized as honorary founders of Stolen Stuff, Inc.  Your contribution will never be forgotten, and will be the bedrock of something greater to come.  

Thank you for your support and trust.   I hope you will join me in making Hawaii a safer place to live. 

Sincerely,

Michael J. Kitchens
Founder,
Stolen Stuff Hawaii
https://www.facebook.com/groups/stolenstuffhawaii/