LIHU‘E — “There is a need for food,” said Wes Perreira, manager of the Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i branch Thursday during the free food drive-through pickup at Lili‘uokalani Trust in Lihu‘e.
Perreira earlier that morning supervised the delivery of food to the Malama Kaua‘i giveaway for keiki in Kilauea, and deliveries to other giveaway sites before settling in at the Lihu‘e site.
The line of cars and walk-ins snaked down Kali Road and around the corner onto Kuhio Highway as the volunteer effort finalized the drive-through system where appropriately-masked volunteers brought the food to clients who remained in their vehicles.
“This is the system they use on O‘ahu,” said Shereen Ho‘opi‘i, Lili‘uokalani Trust site manager. “We don’t have a site in Lihu‘e where people can get food so we got verbal approval to use our site for the drive-through pickup.”
Perreira said with the closure of the St. Michael and All Angels Church’s pantry in Lihu‘e, the Hawai‘i Foodbank has had to rely on sites at the Boys &Girls Club of Hawai‘i to make food available.
With the growing number of unemployed workers, many of whom are parents, the need for food has been growing, as evidenced by the number of deliveries being done by the Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i branch staff.
With the number of people garbed in face masks as encouraged by Mayor Derek Kawakami, a lot of the clients are anonymous.
“I had a guy greet me in Kapa‘a,” Perreira said. “I couldn’t recognize him because of the mask, but he said, ‘My family is unemployed. I’m not proud — I can use the help.’”
Ho‘opi‘i said she is hopeful all details can be firmed up to offer more drive-through pickups on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., or as long as supplies hold up.
•••
Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
