LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i’s hotel industry is stepping up to help the food banks with its efforts to battle holiday hunger, or the traditional increase in food demand during the holiday season.
Ike Cockett, general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn, and the Wailua resort’s staff turned over $3,946.29 to the Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i on Monday morning.
Cockett said this was the Hilton Garden Inn’s first experience with the Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i, who, in return for the hotel’s efforts, supplied a bunch of its “Nourish ‘Ohana” shirts that is being sold as a fundraiser.
“This equates to 5,475 meals for people who need help,” said Wes Perreira, the Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i manager. The Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i has been involved with community events throughout the weekend, starting with the pop-up for the Lights on Rice holiday parade where the staff had a ready supply of food for anyone who needed nourishment.
“We don’t discriminate,” said Michelle Panoke of the Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i. “If they need help, they can just come up, and we made sure we had food they can take with them.”
Kelvin Moniz, the executive director for the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank, was very appreciative when the Marriott’s Kaua‘i Beach Club rolled up to the KIFB Nawiliwili facility with 1,511 pounds of food collected by its associates.
“This is definitely a big help, especially during the holidays,” Moniz said. “We host twice-a-month emergency food distributions on Wednesdays, and we can see the need increase.”
The need will continue to grow, especially during the Winter Break that starts Dec. 16 and continues through after the New Year. Keiki and students dependent on the free and reduced meal program will need to find other means of getting food during the two-week break.
Recently, the Hawai‘i Lodging &Tourism Association, Kaua‘i Chapter distributed aid to both food banks via the Charity Walk allocations.
Prior to the distributions, the HLTA, Kaua‘i teamed up with other community partners to distribute food packages with the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank for Thanksgiving.
There is a need to replenish the supplies that go out, and to this end, both food banks are seeking donations. For more information on contributing to the Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i, visit hawaiifoodbank.org/kauai-donate.
The Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank is in the midst of its Holiday Food and Fund Drive that continues through Dec. 31. Contributors can drop off nonperishable food or canned goods to any of the fire stations on the island, or at the KIFB warehouse and offices in Nawiliwili. For more information, visit kauaifoodbank.org.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
