NAWILIWILI — While others were scurrying about tying loose ends before Thanksgiving, Teddy Arroyo had one important stop among the list of things he had to do Nov. 21. Arroyo dropped off a check at the Kaua‘i Food Bank, his
NAWILIWILI — While others were scurrying about tying loose ends before Thanksgiving, Teddy Arroyo had one important stop among the list of things he had to do Nov. 21.
Arroyo dropped off a check at the Kaua‘i Food Bank, his annual errand before Thanksgiving.
“I’m just a small company,” Arroyo of Arroyo Plumbing said. “But I would like to challenge all the other construction companies to do their part to help take care of our community.”
Arroyo was astonished to discover that the shelves lining the food bank’s Nawiliwili facility were bare.
“Community is very important,” Arroyo said. “From the days when I played under coaches Tommy Rita and Pat Pereira, they kept telling us how important the community is.”
Kelvin Moniz of the Kaua‘i Food Bank said they have had a hard time keeping the shelves full despite a recent contribution from the Marriott properties that totalled more than 8,800 pounds of food the resort collected over a weekend.
James Hughes, another of the food bank staff, said that contribution came at the right time because they were already running low on rice. The Marriott contribution included two pallets of rice.
Moniz said in addition to the ongoing Holiday Food and Fund Drive which continues through Dec. 15, there is a partnership drive between the Safeway Stores and Kraft Foods that also helps the Kaua‘i Food Bank.
Under that program, Safeway shoppers can specify a certain amount that will be credited to the “Check-out Hunger” program.
According to a flier posted at the Nawiliwili food bank warehouse, a contribution of $2.81 will feed a child breakfast for a week, a contribution of $12.43 will feed a senior dinner for a month, and a contribution of $16.84 will feed a family for a week.
Contributions for the Kaua‘i Food Bank’s Holiday Food and Fund drive may be dropped off at any one of the fire stations on the island, or at the Nawiliwili warehouse during its operating hours.
But Arroyo’s benevolence to the community did not end with his visit to the food bank.
For the past several years, Arroyo has been contributing one boys bicycle and one girls bicycle with appropriate helmets to children at several of Kaua‘i’s schools.
Wilcox Elementary School joins the list of schools that include Kekaha School, Waimea Canyon School, Koloa School, Kalaheo School, the Kamehameha Preschool in Kaumakani, Ke Kula O Ni‘ihau, and ‘Ele‘ele School.
“This is something that I was taught as I was growing up,” Arroyo said. “I have three sons, and one day, I would like to see them doing the same thing. It’s always good to give back.”
