PUHI — Julie Kauakahi of Child and Family Service was busy shopping with her husband Willis and Edmar David on Tuesday at the Hawaii Foodbank, Kauai Branch. “This is pretty much their entire Tuesday,” said Wes Perreira, Hawaii Foodbank Kauai
PUHI — Julie Kauakahi of Child and Family Service was busy shopping with her husband Willis and Edmar David on Tuesday at the Hawaii Foodbank, Kauai Branch.
“This is pretty much their entire Tuesday,” said Wes Perreira, Hawaii Foodbank Kauai Branch manager. “They come in the morning, shop and deliver to Hale Ho‘omalu. After delivering to Kapaa, they come back, shop for Nana’s House in Waimea before ending the day by delivering to Waimea.”
Julie said this weekly routine takes care of families and people who need food.
“Hale Ho‘omalu serves about 50 families, twice a week,” Julie said. “In Waimea, Nana’s House does three-times-a-week service, helping about 50 families each time. In Waimea, the need is more family-based, and although there are many families in Kapaa, there are a lot more individuals.”
Child and Family Service is one of 29 certified agencies that utilize the Hawaii Foodbank Kauai Branch in helping more than 13,000 people in 2016, from Kekaha to the North Shore. About 4,100 are children and 1,100 are seniors, Perreira said.
“We’ll be helping Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.,” Julie said.
The Hawaii Foodbank announced a statewide food and fund drive that will take place Saturday simultaneously on Kauai, Oahu, Maui and the Big Island.
Kauai locations include the Princeville Center, Safeway at Kauai Village and at Hokulei Village, Walmart, and the Big Save stores in Koloa, Eleele and Waimea.
“The Matson Foundation supports this program helping to feed Kauai’s people,” said Patrick Ono, Matson Navigation Kauai port manager. “Because of the drive, I’m going to see if we can arrange to make the annual contribution to coincide with the drive that will help the food bank through its spring and summer needs. As the newest board member for the Hawaii Foodbank, they have me working right off the bat. I’ll be helping at the Safeway Hokulei Village site.”
Perreira said food drives like Saturday’s enable the Hawaii Foodbank Kauai Branch to be able to distribute the 1.3 millions pounds of food it did in 2016.
