Credit union supports Kilauea community

KILAUEA — Wendell Sandobal was looking for green onions aboard his motorized scooter Friday when he happened on the Kaua‘i Government Federal Credit Union food distribution.

“Oh good,” he said while rummaging through the special KGEFCU shopping bag. “They have green onions. Just what I was looking for. I was going shopping for these.”

Sandobal was one of over 40 people, including neighbors from the Ahuimanu complex where the KGEFCU branch is soon to open, receiving special food packages designed to be made into meals.

“Look, they even have hamburger,” Sandobal said. “I really don’t have to go shopping today.”

Chantal Zarbaugh, the food-distribution coordinator for KGEFCU, said the distribution included Ranchers Daughter Reserve hamburger from the Andrade Cattle Co., a bag of fresh produce sourced from ‘Aina Ho‘okupu O Kilauea, and help from the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank with the starch.

“This is the Kaua‘i Government Employees Federal Credit Union’s way of supporting local,” Zarbaugh said. “We got special ‘Eat. Shop. Support. Bank Local Kako‘o Kaua‘i’ shopping bags that everything is packed in. We just try to support and shop locally.”

KGEFCU President and CEO Monica Belz lent her efforts at the Kilauea branch, allowing her children to help with the preparation and distribution of the food packages.

She also led a preview peek of the soon-to-open branch to many of the food recipients who thought the branch was already open.

“Construction just resumed on the building,” Zarbaugh said. “During the COVID shutdown, we couldn’t work on anything. But now that we restarted work, the branch opening should be really close.”

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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.