I contacted the Ohana people via Twitter asking if I could buy a replacement tuner,explaining what I was experiencing. And,much to my surprise,Steph,one of the PR folks,emailed me to let me know they were sending one and no worries.
At the same time,I recently hired a neighborhood kid to mow and edge my front yard every two weeks. "Frank" (not his real name) is in his tweens,and he is needing some operations on one of his ears,which will begin this summer. He mows lawns and gives the money earned to his parents to help with expenses,as his Dad had a back injury that interferes with what sort of work he can do.
Frank,knowing I'm a musician,stated he wanted a guitar or ukulele. I told him I felt uke was a better choice for now,as it's a lot easier to take with you and learn. Besides,he could take it to the hospital to help pass the time.
Being on a budget myself since my Dad passed,I wrote Steph to see if they had some sort of ukulele kids program. Not really,I was told and I asked if they had any B rated soprano ukes they'd be willing to sell at a discounted price.
Then the unexpected happened. Steph and company were generous enough to send a soprano uke and gigbag to me along with my replacement tuners. I was shocked. The uke arrived yesterday which also happened to be the day Frank does the gardening for me. I waited till he was finished,and then presented him with the ukulele and explained that the Ohana Uke Co was thoughtful and generous enough to give this uke to him,and that he was to take excellent care of it. He was beyond delighted. I'd include a photo,but I believe due to his age there's rules against that.
I can't tell you how good it made me feel to be able to pass a nice quality ukulele to a kid who wouldn't have been able to got one otherwise. I promised Frank I'd help him learn to play after his bi weekly mowing of the lawn. Thank you,Ohana,for making sure that no one gets left behind!