KAPA‘A — The food pantry inside the Kaua‘i Store is just eight days old, and has already distributed nearly 150 bags of food, said Erik Burton of the Kaua‘i Store.
“We’re not a nonprofit,” Burton said. “We have some money — too little to even pay the rent. I was down to my last $150 and bought some rice and refried beans (I’m from California) to start this food pantry inside the store,” Burton said.
“Everything is donated. We started with just four rows, and in the week (it) has grown to 14 rows (with room to grow even more) with stuff the local-born need and want.”
Burton interrupted his talk to help a shopper, Deanna Palfrey, who worked through the various category offerings of protein, fruits or vegetables, fresh fruit and produce to fill a shopping bag with food, the personal hygiene products being an option.
“I’m happy,” Palfrey said. “I don’t like shopping in the big stores (small store, safer to shop, Burton said). I went to a food distribution and half of what I got I couldn’t use. This place, I only get what I can use.”
The food pantry located inside the Kaua‘i Store offers its services six days a week from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. to a targeted clientele.
“Mondays are reserved for families,” Burton said. “Tuesdays are for kupuna. They need things different from families. Wednesdays are for singles, both male and female. Singles need things that families don’t. And they don’t need a lot. Thursdays are for the keiki. Yes, we have things that appeal to the young people, and even their parents find ‘comfort food’ in what keiki like. Fridays are for pets. Yes, there are people who have cats. Saturday is reserved for the homeless.”
Saturday also inaugurated hot-meal service through Malama Meals on O‘ahu, the load of food prepared by professional chefs being picked up at the airport and delivered to the Kaua‘i Store by volunteers.
“This takes care of two types of people who need the food,” Burton said. “There are the existing needy, and the newly needed that includes a lot of the people who became unemployed because of the COVID-19 and everything shutting down.”
Burton said the needs and expectations of these people are different, and the new food pantry recognizes that.
“We have a farmers’ market on the outside of the Kaua‘i Store,” Burton said. “Inside, we have the pantry shelves where people can select from the different categories. Everything is by donation. Some people donate what they take, others are not quite ready to contribute yet, and others donate just to help other people in the community.”
Burton is seeking volunteers to help with the pantry operation.
“Basically, we need two types of volunteers,” he said. “The first are wall captains where they (yes, it can be a group of people) take ownership of a section of the wall and keep it stocked for customers. The second are group coordinators that change up the wall to meet the needs of the six categories of people shopping. Each group has its own needs.”
Another interruption saw Burton help unload a client’s vehicle with packages of groceries from a local supermarket.
“Everything is donation,” Burton said.
“People give what they can to help support the others. We even had a person dropping off new puzzles. We are a puzzle exchange. What do you do with a puzzle once you finish putting it together? Right now, people are doing a lot of puzzles.”
For information, or to become a volunteer, call Burton at 634-2655.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
