PO‘IPU — A village is needed to help feed employees as volunteers, and the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank joined The Point at Po‘ipu manager Jamie Shigeta, Thursday to distribute food packages to 125 of the resort’s employees and their families.
“When are the restaurants and hotels going to open?” Petronella Hendricks asked. “I need a job. I’m getting bored staying at home.”
Hendricks was one of the volunteers helping the packing crew after experiencing the distribution done by the KIFB with the Duke’s Restaurant crew earlier in the month.
“I just want something to do,” she said. “I want to work.”
Isabel Gampon, the reigning Miss Hawai‘i Filipina, also turned out to help distribute the food packages to The Point employees and their families that have been impacted by COVID-19 that forced the resort’s closure since March.
“I learned about this distribution while helping at the Kaua‘i Marriott distribution, last week,” Gampon said. “I decided to just show up for this one since I knew about it.”
So did Carrice Gardner, the governor’s Kaua‘i liason who was invited to participate with the Zonta Club of Kaua‘i during last week’s distribution.
Randy Francisco of the Kaua‘i Filipino Chamber of Commerce has not been a stranger to helping a many of the previous KIFB food distributions for workers impacted by the pandemic, and Leona Perez, the KIFB programs manager, roused four of the Boy Scouts from the Aloha Council Troop 148, sponsored by the Lihu‘e Christian Church, to help move food during the drive-through pickup.
Morgan Lopez, the director for the Hawai‘i Lodging and Tourism Association, Kaua‘i Branch, was also no stranger to previous food distributions to help families of people who are dealing with the high unemployment rate caused by the closure of hotels and resort.
Kelvin Moniz, the KIFB executive director, said the food bank maintains emergency food pick up Mondays through Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its Nawiliwili warehouse. Clients are asked to adhere to face mask and social distancing guidelines.
