Kupa‘a Kaua‘i food distribution program to begin Sept. 22

LIHU‘E — The County of Kaua‘i is partnering with the Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i Branch and the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank to provide food packages to individuals and families who have been economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Preregistration begins today, Sept. 17, at 8 a.m.

The Kupa‘a Kaua‘i food distribution program is funded through federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds and will run four days a week starting Tuesday, Sept. 22, through the end of December.

“This is the third round of islandwide food distribution programs aimed at serving all sectors of our community affected by the pandemic,” Mayor Derek Kawakami said in a press release. “This program is specifically designed to target Kaua‘i households that have been economically impacted, and I encourage all those who meet this need to take a minute to complete the online application.”

This program is administered by the Kaua‘i incident Management Team and operated by the County of Kaua‘i Department of Parks and Recreation (DOPR)/Recreation Division.

What to know

Households will need to pre-register online by submitting an application through the kauai.gov/COVID-19 survey link and supply their documentation by either attaching a PDF or picture within the application indicating their qualification of need.

Locations and distribution days are:

• Kilauea, Kapa‘a, and Lihu‘e neighborhood centers on Tuesdays and Thursdays

• Koloa, Hanapepe, and Waimea neighborhood centers on Wednesdays and Fridays

After submitting, applicants will receive an email back within 48 hours indicating whether they were approved or disapproved for the program that week. Each individual/household will only be allowed to pick up once per week.

A new registration will need to be completed on a weekly basis.

Households will indicate on their survey application each week which neighborhood center they would like to pick up from and their preferred day and time – either from 9 a.m. to noon or 1 to 4 p.m. When picking up please present distribution staff with a picture ID.

Do I qualify?

To be eligible, recipients must provide at least one of the following to demonstrate need for this emergency support:

• Med-Quest / Children’s Health insurance Program (CHIP) health insurance card;

• Letter from prior employer verifying unemployment: Letter of termination of employment or reduction of hours;

• Letter of eligibility for Unemployment insurance (UI) benefits/ Proof of application to Ui;

• Letter of successful Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) submission/ Proof of application;

• Card or letter of eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, infants, and Children (WIC), etc.;

• Letter of eligibility for the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP);

• Proof of eligibility for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Housing Choice Voucher Program (formerly the Section 8 Program); or

• If you don’t have any of the items listed above, please be prepared to verify your need.

If individuals need help or have any questions about registering online, please call the Kaua‘i emergency Management at (808) 241-1800. Users may click on the survey link located on at kauai.gov/COVID-19.