Educators grateful for support
I wanted to express gratitude and recognition to all those in the community helping to keep Kumu’s Cupboard open and stocked for educators.
This past year has been “unprecedented,” to say the least. There are different hours, expectations, needs and supplies for almost everyone’s job, especially essential workers.
Speaking on behalf of the teachers I know, we want to thank everyone involved with Kumu’s Cupboard. Kumu’s Cupboard continues to succor us, provide materials and allow us to keep the students a priority. But, most importantly, they’ve kept their doors open to us. As a nonprofit business that relies solely on donations of supplies and gracious volunteers, this storefront acts as an extension of heart for our service.
Last weekend, I spoke with some of the volunteers at Kumu’s Cupboard, asking if the business’s needs have changed over the past year. Of course, they have. Teaching has changed. Students have shifted from online to in-person and back again, resources have changed, and students, teachers and parents’ needs have changed.
In a year where it could be easy to give up, close down and/or take a year off, teachers have shown up stronger than ever. And Kumu’s Cupboard, along with the community members who volunteer and donate, has been there to support all the educators on the island.
To those involved, thank you for being our advocates so that we can advocate for the students of Kaua’i.
Sincerely, a grateful teacher.
Sara Graves, Island School teacher
Foodbank appreciates help fighting hunger
On a bright, sunny morning on the Westside of Kaua‘i, ‘Ele‘ele Baptist Church’s Pastor Larry Hale greeted Hawai‘i Foodbank’s staff at their church with an eager smile.
This day would be about new beginnings for this busy little food pantry, and an expanded capability to store more food to distribute. While he and his crew from the church helped unload the new commercial freezer being given to them by Hawai‘i Foodbank, he remarked, “We’re so grateful and blessed for this opportunity. Now that we have way more freezer space, we can distribute much more food than before. Thank you, Home Depot, for the generosity, and Hawai‘i Foodbank for the delivery.”
The Home Depot of Kaua‘i recently found itself with a commercial freezer they hoped could be used by a nonprofit and be put to good use. Their Department Supervisor/Community Captain Sandrina Kaneholani-Reis thought of the Hawai‘i Foodbank, which has distributed more than 1.9 million pounds of food since the pandemic began in March of 2020. When asked about the donation, Kaneholani-Reis expressed that The Home Depot wants to help Kaua‘i nonprofits in these unprecedented times, adding that “COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere, and the best thing we can do is to help out and look after each other.”
Hawai‘i Foodbank has been fortunate to receive many donations from our Kaua‘i community, and we are doing our best to build the strongest food-distribution team this island has ever seen. We are partners with more than 40 nonprofit organizations from Kekaha to Ha‘ena which provide food and services to those in need.
Together, we’ve created this incredible network of organizations who have met the challenge of a failing economy, elevated unemployment and soaring homelessness. We are very appreciative of the support we receive from the many donors near and far who have supported our efforts in the fight against hunger.
Tisha Ruiz, Lihu‘e
I can how this have helped out some few residents on Kaua’i. Always great to see this happen. It does stir my curiosity though. There is a brighter self to people. Some people express their ideas differently i suppose. Hawaii Foodbank is one way of describing some few things about a situation or a family. Which reminds me all the way on the westside there is Kekaha. Or mana. All the way on the North side there is Hanalei. I guess my point is that no matter what island you are from, that same ‘Ohana’ can be felt. Even on Kaua’i. And that is my point. That ‘Ohana’ is what makes people or the community want to come together. And they in turn thrive for the greater cause. To belong. I hope I have pointed out some few similarities in living conditions. But the main thing, ‘much Ohana’ to anywhere you live on Kaua’i. That’s the idea.
What the heck? I gave this forum that. ‘Finding Ohana’ can be viewed on the internet for free. All you got to do is a boolean search. ‘Finding Ohana and free’ can be type on google search. Look for the link that comes up free. Press that link. If you’re good with your computer, the bars on the chrome must be used to get you in the correct menu to get to the correct Flash Drive. Of which you must download for free. Play around with the bars a little bit until you get the desired outcome. This may take a while. But if you’re good at surfing the net, no problem. For free. Flash player. It works. They have it all over Hawai’i now to those internet users. For real.
PLEASE enact chicken fine on Kauai!! Our next door neighbor (single family residential) feeds feral chickens so much there are 200+ chickens with roosters keeping us awake at night and hens bothering us during day. She scatters so much chicken feed that what the chickens don’t eat rats do — then they destroy parked cars and homes, hers included. She also fed feral hogs until one bit her in the foot. lol