LIHU‘E — Rhonda Cabello was speechless Saturday morning while watching the steady stream of cars parade through the Puakea Golf Course parking lot.
“I didn’t think anyone was going to come,” Cabello said. “This is the doubting Thomas in me. Thank God for providing.”
Several hundred cars drove through the pickup stations at the Police, Pastors &Pancakes breakfast for youth 18 years old and under drive-thru that was presented by the Kaua‘i Police Department and New Hope Lihu‘e with support from the Hawai‘i National Guard, Grove Farm Company and Puakea Golf Course.
“We had such an amazing response today,” said KPD Chief Todd Raybuck. “All of the volunteers worked so hard and really delivered, because we had vehicles wrapped all the way around the parking lot before we even opened.”
The breakfast drive-thru was designed to supplement the state Department of Education’s grab-and-go meal program that offers meals to students weekdays, open to any youth 18 and under who could make the one-hour drive-thru pickups for breakfast and lunch.
“During the last hurricane scares, we put some money away,” said Senior Pastor John Cabello of New Hope Lihu‘e. “This was the seed money for this program, where we planned for between 500 and 600 meals. We also got sponsorships to help, and put this together so we can do this for at least another two weeks. We’d love to do this for as long as it takes to ride out this crisis.”
COVID-19 changed a lot of plans, including the elimination of Easter services and activities, where New Hope Lihu‘e last year hosted the first-ever helicopter Easter egg drop to thousands of anxious youngsters, the cancellation of the Kaua‘i Police Activities League flag-football season, and more, including the police department’s Coffee With A Cop.
“These are shirts from the K-PAL program that we upcycled into keiki fabric face masks,” said Sgt. Lance Okasaki as he distributed masks until the supply ran out. He was joined by other officers who passed out packages of cookies that were provided by a sponsor.
During the first several weeks of the COVID-19 crisis, the KPD focused on compliance and enforcement efforts, and the Police, Pastors &Pancakes event marked a shift toward assisting the community in other areas of need.
“We know this pandemic has been challenging for our families, and that is why we partnered alongside our faith-based community to host this event that we plan to hold for at least another two or three Saturdays,” Raybuck said.
“I want to thank all of the volunteers who showed up to help today, and especially Pastor John Cabello. We couldn’t have done this without you. I also want to thank the Kaua‘i community for your support and understanding during these past several weeks. We’re all in this together. We’re going to do this together.”
The next Police, Pastors &Pancakes breakfast will take place Saturday from 9 to 10 a.m. at the Puakea Golf Course.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
