KUKUI‘ULA — The news was worthy enough to warrant a break with coffee, juice, and doughnuts for all recently. Employees of Kukui‘ula Development Company were elated when their in-house drive for the Kauai Food Bank brought the food bank’s spring
KUKUI‘ULA — The news was worthy enough to warrant a break with coffee, juice, and doughnuts for all recently.
Employees of Kukui‘ula Development Company were elated when their in-house drive for the Kauai Food Bank brought the food bank’s spring food and fund drive right back on track after it had been sidetracked by last month’s floods and response.
Judith “Judy” Lenthall, executive director of the Kauai Food Bank, was on hand to accept a $2,815 contribution from employees of Kukui‘ula Development Company, and said that, combined with the Larry Bowman matching-funds challenge, the drive topped the $10,000 mark.
The food bank’s goal in the spring drive is the same as the winter drive, $20,000 and 20,000 pounds of food.
The Kukui‘ula donations will help food bank leaders and volunteers get back on track following their involvement in disaster-relief feeding efforts following the heavy rains that hit Kaua‘i last month, Lenthall said.
Lenthall said expenses during the recovery efforts came to about $11,000, and caused the Nawiliwili facility’s shelves to empty as they joined with officials and volunteers with The Salvation Army, American Red Cross, and other community agencies in helping to feed emergency and disaster-relief workers following the breach of Ka Loko Reservoir dam.
In addition to the financial contribution, Kukui‘ula employees also collected a good amount of food that topped the 700-pound mark. A good portion of this included 20-pound bags of rice as well as a variety of canned meats, and other canned goods.
The in-house drive was headed up by Jan Logan, Layrd Mahler, Faith Thornton and Brenda Sameshima.
Kauai Food Bank staff and volunteers will be hosting a day-long food and fund collection event at several sites around the island on April 22.
• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
