PUHI — When Penny Young rolled into the parking lot, she didn’t realize her car was not big enough. What greeted the development officer for the Kaua‘i Food Bank, was a large pile of foodstuffs near the main entrance of
PUHI — When Penny Young rolled into the parking lot, she didn’t realize her car was not big enough.
What greeted the development officer for the Kaua‘i Food Bank, was a large pile of foodstuffs near the main entrance of Unlimited Construction.
That prompted Young to return to her Nawiliwili facility and exchange her vehicle for a van capable of handling the load collected by Unlimited’s staff and employees.
Don Taylor, the firm’s comptroller, interrupted his May Day program to make sure all of the items were accounted for in the presentation that came on the heels of the Kaua‘i Food Bank’s Spring Healthy Food and Fund Drive that closed on April 30.
“This was a company-wide effort,” one of the office staff said. “The food bank helps to feed people who would
otherwise not have something to eat, so this was a good thing. And it’s our company’s way of helping the community.”
In addition to the food collection that included a wide variety of items ranging from 25-pound bags of rice to cases of Ensure, the employees also contributed $1,230 in cash.
Young said Unlimited Construction’s total food contribution totalled 1,594 pounds.
“This contribution helps the Kaua‘i Food Bank because it is all kept locally,” Young said.
The contribution also sets the stage for May 12 when the 15th Annual National Association of Letter Carriers’ Food Drive will take place, Young said.
Members of the association, usually the mail carriers that visit homes and offices, will be collecting donations of nonperishable goods while they deliver the mail that day.
“The food stays in the state, right in the community where it is gathered,” Young said.
She notes that people making a contribution to the food drive should contribute items that are not in glass containers and check the expiration dates of contributed items.
Items topping the food bank’s needs list include canned meats, vegetables, fruits, canned soups and peanut butter.
For more information, call Young at 246-3809.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.