NAWILIWILI — Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank Executive Director Kelvin Moniz said they have been blessed on Tuesday as 2021 enters the few remaining days of the year.
“We have been able to feed the people who needed to be fed,” Moniz said. “And, in return, we have been blessed with year-end donations that have allowed us to be able to feed those people.”
Moniz and Kawai Gampon were waiting on the pickup of 100 pounds of rice and at least a dozen cans of Spam by The Musubi Truck that is entering its second week of feeding keiki during the winter break.
“They called this morning and asked for help,” Moniz said. “They must be feeding a lot of keiki because we provided them 100 pounds of rice and cans of Spam to start when they launched their program last week.”
The Musubi Truck was inspired by the realization that keiki receiving free or reduced-price breakfasts and lunches at public and charter schools might not have access to food after school let out for the extended holiday and semester break.
When school is in session, the Backpack Program administered by KIFB sends food home with keiki to carry them through the weekend.
Terms for The Musubi Truck meals include keiki getting a ticket from the Kaua‘i Skate ‘Ohana that can be redeemed for a keiki lunch package that includes an original-recipe Spam musubi, a bag of chips and carton of juice.
The wait at the KIFB facility was interrupted when Kaleo Rodero rolled in with his pickup truck.
“This is just some food that came in during the Fourth Reindeer Bowl that was played Sunday at Isenberg Park,” Rodero said. “The Reindeer Bowl is always a fundraising event to help someone. This year, my wife and I decided we would try and help Seeley Borges, that little person who is fighting leukemia and needs a bone-marrow transplant.”
Playing seven-on-seven football, the Reindeer Bowl finished the weekend by raising nearly $8,000 for Borges’ family.
“My wife is going to be very happy,” Rodero said. “We started doing fundraising from right after Thanksgiving, and had more than 100 companies and businesses contributing to help Seeley’s family with medical expenses.”
When the first Reindeer Bowl was played, Rodero said it was to help his sister-in-law who was battling ovarian cancer. Since then, the Reindeer Bowl has always helped someone fighting a medical issue.
“Yes, we are blessed to be able to help,” Moniz said. “Happy New Year!”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
