WAIPOULI — Wes Perreira, the Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i Branch manager, spent his birthday Tuesday (information according to Cyndi Ayonon of the Zonta Club of Kaua‘i, who read Stacy Perreira’s social-media page) helping Jennie Wai‘wai‘ole-Vega, general manager of the Kaua‘i Shores hotel, distribute food to the hotel’s employees.
WAIPOULI — Wes Perreira, the Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i Branch manager, spent his birthday Tuesday (information according to Cyndi Ayonon of the Zonta Club of Kaua‘i, who read Stacy Perreira’s social-media page) helping Jennie Wai‘wai‘ole-Vega, general manager of the Kaua‘i Shores hotel, distribute food to the hotel’s employees.
“We’re doing food for about 80 total employees,” Wai‘wai‘ole-Vega said. “This covers the employees of the Kaua‘i Shores, and the Lava Lava Beach Club that is closed, too.”
The Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i Branch teamed with Kaua‘i Shores to provide food packages for employees in a drive-thru format at the hotel’s entrance.
“They’re getting some good food,” Wai‘wai‘ole-Vega said. “We were able to get an assortment of canned goods, Goteborg, Keoki’s kalua pork, rice, water, juice, bread, eggs and saimin.”
Perreira said the Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i Branch has one more big distribution coming up Thursday in Kekaha.
Wai‘wai‘ole-Vega said Kaua‘i Shores closed after Mayor Derek Kawakami opted out of the state’s Safe Travels testing program for travelers, both visitors and residents alike. This was only a short time after the hotel reopened following the loosening of the travel restrictions on Oct. 15.
“I don’t know how long we’re going to be shut this time,” Wai‘wai‘ole-Vega said. “But on Jan. 9, 2021, we’ll be hosting a garage sale here from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. to benefit the Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i Branch.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
Foodlines, handouts, unemployment…signs of the Great Depression almost a 100 years ago.
Except caused by 2 people, an inexperienced frightened to death mayor and his inexperienced medical advisor educated in a profession that sees only a pill or vaccine for every ill.
More tourist drown each year on Kauai, than die from Covid virus, yet we don’t shut down tourism and 1/2 the workers on Kauai are unemployed with families.
There appears to be some kind of discrimination against those out of work.