KAUMAKANI — A rainbow that broke in the skies over Kaumakani beamed its unspoken approval of the work being done by a group of volunteers from the Contractors Association of Kaua‘i, Gay &Robinson and the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank Saturday in the Aloha Sweet Delites parking lot.
“Kaumakani never gets rainbows,” said Kelvin Moniz, KIFB executive director. “We even had a blessing with the light mist that sure felt good after all that hard work.”
The CAK partnered with KIFB to lead a Christmas distribution for more than 250 kupuna who have been relegated to home-bound status because of the ongoing pandemic.
The unique distribution started when the CAK wanted to do a distribution that was different from the food distributions getting food to people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
When word of the distribution hit the streets, contributions that surpassed expectations started pouring into the CAK offices, including those from Cushnie Construction, Conrad and Eloise Murashige, Sherman Shiraishi, Attorney-at-Law, Jas. W. Glover, Glover Honsador, Karen Taketa and the CAK board, Faith and Carl Matsumura, Pacific Concrete Cutting &Coring, NF Kawakami Store and the Kaua‘i Kookie Co., Kodani &Associates, Pacific Mirror &Glass, Curtis Law Construction, Crystal and John Contrades IV, Linda Konishi and the first-grade class at ‘Ele‘ele School, Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative, Hawai‘i Medical Service Association, Ka‘iwa Construction, Shioi Construction, Earthworks Pacific, Pacific Blue Construction, Esaki Surveying &Mapping, M&H Painting, HAMCO Glass &Glazing, Kukui‘ula Development, Kaua‘i Flooring &Interiors, Joel Koetje General Contractor, Service Rentals &Supplies, Dr. Cathy Tsunehiro, DDS, and Dr. Keith Uehara.
“This was unreal,” said Moniz. “We had our regular holiday food offerings of complete meals. The sponsors jumped in with more than money, and we ended up with all kinds of extras like paper towels, toilet tissue, light bulbs, cookies, and even bottles of shoyu. There was a lot of items that we ended with two big bags of items that exceeded $50 in value for each bag. Kupuna should be real happy with what’s going out.”
Packing and preparation for the deliveries took place at several locations, where volunteers worked frantically to stay compliant with the COVID-19 health and safety rules and mandates, and up until raindrops sprinkled the volunteers there were constant reminders of face-masking, keeping socially distant and sanitizing.
“When we asked for volunteers, Sharon Sahara was the first one to respond,” said Clyde Kodani of Kodani &Associates. “It’s her part of the woods anyway.”
Deliveries went grass roots, relying on crews from G&R and the Retired Senior and Volunteer Program Kaua‘i, with Puni Patrick of G&R working to wiggle her group into position for a selfie with the rainbow, and RSVP Advisory Council member William “Bill” Arakaki pulling into a parking area while waiting on the remainder of the crew.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
Too bad “Gay &Robinson” Cannot donate some of the 1000s and 1000s of acres they own to help with the impossibly high home prices in Kauai. Why is it allowed for so much of our land be held in so few hands? And they are considered “good people” because they hand out 1 mango when they have millions…Such a con.
A day job. No worries about any virus. My relatives in Eleelee are that way since 1949. Wow. Made it out.