“It’s been really hard,” said an employee of The Point at Po‘ipu Resort Thursday as he watched volunteers set up for a food distribution for the resort’s employees.
“My wife and I both work in the visitor industry,” he said. “We’ve been open and closed and open again. We lost our unemployment back in November, and haven’t been able to get any answers. We’ve had zero income since then.”
The employee watched and took care of guests while other associates with The Point partnered with the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank staff and volunteers to distribute nearly a hundred food packages for its employees in a drive-thru, no-contact format.
Thursday’s distribution included eggs, Portuguese Sausage, ground beef, bread, pasta, canned soups, packaged tofu and cases of saimin.
Originally scheduled for last week, the distribution was re-scheduled because The Point at Po‘ipu Resort was being inspected for eligibility as the island’s newest resort bubble.
“We’ve been able to bring back some staff,” said Jamie Shigeta, the Diamond Resorts manager. “Hopefully, things will get better and we can bring back more workers.”
Kelvin Moniz, KIFB executive director, said even if the resort opens its doors, people don’t just come to work.
“It’s a gradual and slow process,” he said. “We still have a lot of properties that are still closed.”
The need situation in the community is further aggravated by businesses announcing permanent closure and severe budget cutbacks due to the loss of business from the pandemic.
“We’re partnering with the East Kaua‘i Lions Club to host the first food distribution for a school,” Moniz said. “This is not just for the school’s teachers and staff, but for families in the school that can use the extra help.”
He said the need for food is not just limited to people in the visitor industry, but extends to the entire island.
“All we can do is the best we can with whatever we have,” Moniz said. “That’s all anyone can ask.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
