LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i Police Department Sgt. Darla Nonaka said she knows the names of all the puppies Saturday during the Police, Pastors and Platters free drive-thru breakfast giveaway at Puakea Golf Course.
“I’ve seen them all,” Nonaka said. “They come every week, and now, I know them by name.”
Among those was Scotty Pippin, who sat patiently in the back seat while his car creeped along the drive-thru breakfast line that served up breakfast burritos with sauce provided by Verde restaurant.
Additional goodies being served up by Phil Worwa, Rommel Valenzuela and the divas from Kaua‘i Fashion Week included bottles of fresh milk, loaves of bread and bottled water to go.
Saturday marked the final Police, Pastors &Platters being served up at Puakea Golf Course.
After being started as a fill-in for the state Department of Education’s grab-and-go free meals nine weeks ago, more than 6,000 meals, including those delivered to homeless camps, have passed the hands of New Hope Lihu‘e volunteers, KPD officers and other community volunteers.
Pastor John Cabelo said New Hope Lihu‘e will continue to work with the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank to continue food distributions through the church.
He is also planning to host a similar drive-thru breakfast giveaway at least once a month at the Kaua‘i Veterans Center, based on the success of the Puakea run.
“We couldn’t have done this without the help of New Hope Lihu‘e,” said KPD Chief Todd Raybuck, who walked up with Nonaka after greeting motorists arriving for the free, drive-thru meal.
“This is such a nice way to get to know the community, and for the community to get to know us.”
New Hope Lihu‘e and KPD got help from throughout the community, including the Puakea Golf Course, which let them use the facility for its nine-week run, the Grove Farm Company for helping to underwrite some of the costs, KIFB for providing supplemental food that was distributed along with the meals, Tim Mira (with his Kala ‘ukulele) providing entertainment, Konohiki Seafoods for the trailer-able refrigerated unit, the Garcia Farm in Moloa‘a with weeks of fresh produce, including kale, and, on Saturday, Verde restaurant for the sauce that topped the breakfast burritos.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
