LIHU‘E — The credit unions on Kaua‘i are unified in their goal of “ending hunger in 20/12.” Starting Monday and continuing until May 31, the nine credit unions on Kaua‘i invite their members and nonmembers alike to participate in a
LIHU‘E — The credit unions on Kaua‘i are unified in their goal of “ending hunger in 20/12.”
Starting Monday and continuing until May 31, the nine credit unions on Kaua‘i invite their members and nonmembers alike to participate in a food drive to help the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank.
The unified goal of the credit unions is to raise $20,000 in cash and collect 12,000 pounds of food by the May 31 deadline.
Contributions can be dropped off at the Garden Island Federal Credit Union behind the Lihu‘e Post Office, any branch of the Kaua‘i Community Federal Credit Union, the Kaua‘i Government Employees Federal Credit Union, the Kaua‘i Teachers Federal Credit Union, the Kaumakani Federal Credit Union, the Kekaha Federal Credit Union, the Koloa Federal Credit Union and the
McBryde Federal Credit Union.
Suggested food contributions include items from the items most requested by those in need including pasta, tuna, peanut butter, canned soup, canned vegetables, canned fruit, rice and Ensure/Pediasure.
Additionally, people who contribute a bag of rice or $10 in cash will earn a special customized rice paddle, featured during the credit union’s last rice promotion.
The mission of the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank is to prevent hunger, provide nutritious food for the hungry through its network of distribution partners, and respond to emergencies, its website states.
Demand for food has more than doubled since 2008, according to The Hunger Study 2010.
The study states the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank fed more than 11,000 unduplicated people in 2009 with the total rising.
In 2008, it received 58,000 emergency requests for food and in 2010, the number of emergency requests had risen to almost 120,000.
Visit any of the credit unions or the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
