Educators grateful for support
I wanted to express gratitude and recognition to all those in the community helping to keep Kumu’s Cupboard open and stocked for educators.
This past year has been “unprecedented,” to say the least. There are different hours, expectations, needs and supplies for almost everyone’s job, especially essential workers.
Speaking on behalf of the teachers I know, we want to thank everyone involved with Kumu’s Cupboard. Kumu’s Cupboard continues to succor us, provide materials and allow us to keep the students a priority. But, most importantly, they’ve kept their doors open to us. As a nonprofit business that relies solely on donations of supplies and gracious volunteers, this storefront acts as an extension of heart for our service.
Last weekend, I spoke with some of the volunteers at Kumu’s Cupboard, asking if the business’s needs have changed over the past year. Of course, they have. Teaching has changed. Students have shifted from online to in-person and back again, resources have changed, and students, teachers and parents’ needs have changed.
In a year where it could be easy to give up, close down and/or take a year off, teachers have shown up stronger than ever. And Kumu’s Cupboard, along with the community members who volunteer and donate, has been there to support all the educators on the island.
To those involved, thank you for being our advocates so that we can advocate for the students of Kaua’i.
Sincerely, a grateful teacher.
Sara Graves, Island School teacher
Foodbank appreciates help fighting hunger
On a bright, sunny morning on the Westside of Kaua‘i, ‘Ele‘ele Baptist Church’s Pastor Larry Hale greeted Hawai‘i Foodbank’s staff at their church with an eager smile.
This day would be about new beginnings for this busy little food pantry, and an expanded capability to store more food to distribute. While he and his crew from the church helped unload the new commercial freezer being given to them by Hawai‘i Foodbank, he remarked, “We’re so grateful and blessed for this opportunity. Now that we have way more freezer space, we can distribute much more food than before. Thank you, Home Depot, for the generosity, and Hawai‘i Foodbank for the delivery.”
The Home Depot of Kaua‘i recently found itself with a commercial freezer they hoped could be used by a nonprofit and be put to good use. Their Department Supervisor/Community Captain Sandrina Kaneholani-Reis thought of the Hawai‘i Foodbank, which has distributed more than 1.9 million pounds of food since the pandemic began in March of 2020. When asked about the donation, Kaneholani-Reis expressed that The Home Depot wants to help Kaua‘i nonprofits in these unprecedented times, adding that “COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere, and the best thing we can do is to help out and look after each other.”
Hawai‘i Foodbank has been fortunate to receive many donations from our Kaua‘i community, and we are doing our best to build the strongest food-distribution team this island has ever seen. We are partners with more than 40 nonprofit organizations from Kekaha to Ha‘ena which provide food and services to those in need.
Together, we’ve created this incredible network of organizations who have met the challenge of a failing economy, elevated unemployment and soaring homelessness. We are very appreciative of the support we receive from the many donors near and far who have supported our efforts in the fight against hunger.
Tisha Ruiz, Lihu‘e
