LIHU‘E — The First Hawaiian Bank $10,000 award presented on Monday by FHB Branch Manager John Taylor came “just at the right time,” said Kelvin Moniz, the executive director of the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank.
LIHU‘E — The First Hawaiian Bank $10,000 award presented on Monday by FHB Branch Manager John Taylor came “just at the right time,” said Kelvin Moniz, the executive director of the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank.
“Our relief monies used to fund our kupuna programs are just about exhausted,” Moniz said. “These monies will be used to keep the kupuna programs going, and expand the program’s offering to increase the number of homebound residents.”
The KIFB kupuna programs partner with several organizations in Anahola as well as the county’s Agency on Elderly Affairs, and the Kaua‘i RSVP Seniorcorps to get food into the hands of kupuna throughout the island.
“There has always been kupuna who are homebound,” Moniz said. “With the arrival of the COVID-19, those numbers have increased because of kupuna’s fear of venturing from the safety of their homes. More recently, with the arrival of the delta variant generating an uptick in the number of new cases, the number has increased because of kupuna’s concerns and regard for their safety.”
Moniz said the First Hawaiian Bank funds will be used to continue servicing these kupuna as well as increase support among local farmers and ranchers by acquiring more locally-grown fresh produce and fruits and locally-produced meat for the kupuna deliveries.
In addition to the kupuna programs, the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank continues to offer emergency food distributions at its Nawiliwili warehouses and offices on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting a 9:30 a.m., observing current COVID-19 guidelines for health and safety.
“When people need food, there is no size limit,” Moniz said. “They need food, whether for one family, or five. We take care of anyone who needs emergency food to get by.”
