NAWILIWILI — The line of people seeking emergency food was disrupted briefly, Wednesday at the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank when one of the “small teams” from the Transportation Security Administration arrived with the results of its recent food drive.
“We never forgot what you did for us when the government shut down,” one of the TSA supervisors said while the KIFB staff totalled the 609 pounds in the food collection.
When the federal government shut down in 2019, TSA workers were impacted by furloughs, and got help from the community food banks to supplement their food needs. Today, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down many community businesses, including the hotels leading to staggering unemployment and many people wondering how the bills are going to be paid.
Local Kaua‘i contractor Luis Soltren also added to the KIFB coffers, presenting Kelvin Moniz, the executive director for the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank with a check for $2,000 and a challenge to other Kaua‘i contractors to match the effort to help feed Kaua‘i’s many families impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Soltren also added six cases of Meals Ready to Eat meals that he acquired with the help of his family.
“These are not the military issue,” Soltren said. “They’re made by a civilian company and have better taste.
Moniz said the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank is grateful and appreciative for all of the contributions that are part of the movement of food out of the KIFB facility where emergency food distribution takes place Mondays through Fridays.
“This is a lot of food that’s gone out,” Moniz said. “Through March, we moved nearly 45,000 pounds of food to help people. This is more food than we’ve ever had to work with, and we’re supporting local ranchers and farmers in the effort to help people get food on their table.”
Additionally, Bobby V’s Italian Restaurant and Pizzaria in the Coconut Marketplace is hosting a drive-through pizza or spaghetti and meatball plate pickup, Friday afternoon with the proceeds benefiting the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank.
“All of this is going to food,” Moniz said as the line of people waiting on food pickup resumed. “100 percent — it’s all going to food.”
