LIHU‘E — After being stymied by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hawai‘i Foodbank returns the annual Food Drive Day, Saturday across the state with a goal of raising a million meals.
“We’re counting down the days until Saturday,” said Tisha Remigio of the Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i. She’ll be participating in the statewide drive from her home island. “We at the Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i will be hosting seven different sites — the Big Save store in ‘Ele‘ele, the Big Save store in Koloa, the Big Save store in Waimea, two ends of the Ching Young Village in Hanalei, the Safeway store at Hokulei Village, the Safeway store at the Kaua‘i Village Shopping Center in Kapa‘a, and the main hub at the Kukui Grove Center where Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami is expected to present a proclamation celebrating the Food Drive Day.”
Remigio said the event, with as many sites for convenient in-person contributions, will have everyone, including the Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i staff, advisory board members, and volunteers out in force to help man the different stations set up to collect food and funds that go towards helping distribute food.
The Food Drive Day provides an opportunity for contributors to get to know these people better when they show up in-person to help the drive.
According to information from the Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i, the organization based out of the Puhi Industrial Park distributed more than 1.4 million pounds of food last year.
“We couldn’t do this without the communities’ support,” Remigio said. “We encourage families to come and learn about Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i, and contribute to help provide food to those one in five residents we serve.”
People receiving the benefits of Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i include keiki, kupuna, low-income families, the unemployed and underemployed, the working poor who struggle to make ends meet, paycheck to paycheck, the houseless, disabled people struggling with alcohol, substance abuse and domestic violence abuse, and more.
The Kukui Grove Center is the hub of the 33rd Annual Food Drive Day with all all-day program of entertainment, including contemporary Hawaiian music, craft fair vendors, keiki games, a special hula presentation by Kumu Hula Leina‘ala Pavao Jardin and Halau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leina‘ala, and even BINGO.
Melissa McFerrin-Warrack, the Specialty Leasing and Marketing Manager for Kukui Grove, said all craft booth vendor fees are being donated to the Hawai‘i Foodbank to help meet the Kaua‘i goal of 40,000 meals, the state total being a million meals.
Title sponsors for the 33rd Annual Food Drive Day include First Hawaiian Bank, Hawai‘i News Now, the Star-Advertiser, Heart Radio, and Matson.
w Info: hawaiifoodbank.org.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
