PO‘IPU — A local restaurant owner is holding a monthlong food drive with incentives to support a food bank.
T S Restaurants, which owns and operates Duke’s on Kalapaki Beach and Keoki’s Paradise in Po‘ipu, said it is collecting donations for Hawai‘i Foodbank. As an added incentive, the company’s restaurants will provide donors with up to $50 in food and beverage certificates.
“With food prices rising and one in six Hawai‘i residents struggling with hunger, it’s important we contribute in any way we can,” said Dylan Chang, vice president of operations for T S Restaurants in Hawai‘i, in a statement on Wednesday, Nov. 3.
“As a community-focused company, we want to make sure everyone in our ‘ohana gets the nutrition they need and deserve.”
The restaurant company, which also owns establishments on O‘ahu, Maui and the mainland, said there are a couple of ways to participate in the food drive:
• For every dollar donated, receive a food and beverage certificate in the same dollar amount (up to $50) to dine at one of its restaurants;
• For every five food items donated, receive a $10 food and beverage certificate to dine at one of its restaurants (up to $50).
Donations must be made in person through the restaurant-provided QR code to receive certificates.
“We are so grateful for the continued support of T S Restaurants. We are in a very challenging time right now because inflation is hitting everyone hard,” said Amy Miller Marvin, president and CEO of Hawai‘i Foodbank, in a statement on Wednesday, Nov. 3.
“Not only is it making our own operating costs more challenging, but it is also contributing to a persistently high demand for food assistance. This help comes at a very important time,” she said.
“It is through the generosity of countless community partners like T S Restaurants that we are able to continue doing the work we do.”
Each of the restaurants has a fundraising goal of $10,000 for a grand total of $80,000, or enough money to provide food for 168,000 meals. The most needed items are canned proteins, canned meals, canned fruits and vegetables, and 5- to 10-pound bags of rice.
Last year, Hawai‘i Foodbank distributed more than 23.5 million pounds of food on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i, including 3.5 million pounds of fresh produce.
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Wyatt Haupt Jr., editor, can be reached at 808-245-0457 or whaupt@thegardenisland.com.
