LIHU‘E — The Royal Sonestra Kaua‘i Resort Lihu‘e turned over nearly two tons of food to the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank Friday at the Nawiliwili resort’s loading docks.
“We just thought we’d change it up a bit,” said one of the employees who took time out to help load the pallets of food onto KIFB trucks.
“Traditionally, the hotel would’ve delivered the goods to the KIFB warehouses.”
But this is the first major food drive the Royal Sonesta hosted since its ownership change.
During the drive, Royal Sonesta employees and guests contributed nonperishable food from April 1 through the month.
The collection was picked up by KIFB at the end of the drive.
Results of the food drive go towards KIFB’s Spring Healthy Food and Fund drive that has a goal of 40,000 pounds of food collected, and $40,000.
The food is used to fuel the weekly emergency food distributions that take place on Wednesdays with nearly 100 families taking advantage of the free food each week.
Other programs include the Backpack program, where food is sent home with school students to carry them through the weekends, and the monthly kupuna shopping program where kupuna visit the KIFB facility for once-a-month food shopping.
Food is also provided to churches like the West Kaua‘i Methodist Church, whose members deliver food to home-bound kupuna in the plantation camps of Kaumakani and Pakala through special arrangements with Gay &Robinson.
One of the ways people can contribute to the spring food drive is through drives hosted in-house like the Royal Sonesta’s.
w Info: KIFB, 808-246-3809
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
