Change Angels collect funds for food bank

PUHI — “Angels” were out in front of the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Lihu‘e on Saturday, collecting funds to help the hungry.

“This is our day to help the Hawai‘i Foodbank,” said Lorna Taylan, the head of Change Angels of Kentucky Fried Chicken, as she manned a fish net outside the door during the lunch rush.

Another group took to the sidewalks, cheering as motorists stopped at the stop light to deposit dollar bills into their fish nets. Two of the Angels are employees at Kentucky Fried Chicken.

“Kentucky Fried Chicken helps the two food banks,” Taylan said. “We give to each one on a regular basis. But today, our office said we help the Hawai‘i Foodbank.”

Michele Panoke of the Hawai‘i Foodbank’s Kaua‘i Branch, said it conducted a food drive Saturday with the help of volunteers at Safeway Stores, Walmart, the Big Save store in ‘Ele‘ele and the Foodland store in Princeville.

“We don’t have a dollar figure from the collection, since the dollars and cents are calculated at the Honolulu office,” Panoke said. “But we did collect 398 pounds of food during that time.”

The drive is part of the Hawai‘i Foodbank 23rd Annual Food Drive, which suggests a donation of $10 will help the Hawai‘i Foodbank distribute food for 25 meals. The drive has a target of one million meals.

Contributions can be made by visiting www.hawaiifoodbank.org, Panoke said.

Another way is by visiting any of the banks participating in the Hawai‘i Foodbank’s Bankers Food Drive, which is under way through May 31.

According to information on the Hawai‘i Foodbank website, 11,000 different islanders, including 4,107 children and 1,110 seniors, are served on Kaua‘i. The food bank states that 73 percent of client households being served are “food insecure,” meaning they do not always know where they will find their next meal. Of these, 66 percent include children.

Call (808) 482-2224 for more information.