Four Hawaii-based nonprofits have received new investments to strengthen their fight against hunger just as the state braces for the most sweeping cuts to federal food assistance in decades.
The Hawaii Children’s Action Network, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law &Economic Justice, Hawaii Foodbank and Hawaii Public Health Institute were selected by MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger as part of its Emerging Advocacy Fund. The national initiative is supporting 38 grassroots partners in states hit hardest by food insecurity.
“To truly end hunger, we need to change the systems that keep families trapped in poverty,” Daniela Spoto, deputy director of Hawaii Appleseed, said. “This investment from MAZON allows us to tackle the root causes of food insecurity so families don’t have to choose between food, housing, and other basic needs.”
In Hawaii, where nearly one in three households struggles to afford food — with even higher rates on the neighbor islands — the funding will bolster advocacy efforts to protect and expand programs such as keiki and kupuna meal access, SNAP, emergency food relief and long-term farm-to- community connections.
“This comes at a critical time,” Elia Herman of Hawaii Foodbank said, noting that demand for food assistance is surging just as federal benefits face historic cuts.
Nicole Woo, director of research and economic policy at Hawaii Children’s Action Network, said organizations like MAZON have been a game-changer for their work on childhood hunger.
MAZON had previously awarded HCAN a three-year grant in 2022, providing $90,000 annually. The organization used that support to hire a staff member with deep experience in administering Child Nutrition Programs, who has since focused on tackling childhood hunger statewide. This year’s award represents a new round of funding.
Woo said the staffer has been leading a statewide summer feeding committee and working to expand access to federal child nutrition programs. The efforts are already showing results.
According to the Food Research &Action Center, which issues an annual report comparing states’ summer nutrition programs, Hawaii ranked 44th in the nation in 2019, with only 8.7% of students who get free or reduced-price lunch getting free summer food through the federal nutrition programs. In the group’s most recent report, covering 2023, the state had climbed to ninth, with 25.4% of free and reduced-priced keiki getting free summer nutrition.
Woo also noted that the state increased the number of kids getting summer food due to both Kaukau for Keiki and also adding more on-site meal locations at summer programs.
“So that’s huge, right? But still, there’s a lot more kids,” she said. “We would love to continue the momentum, because we know how expensive food here is in Hawaii.”
She added that multi-year funding from MAZON provided stability and allowed HCAN to focus on system- level improvements, rather than scrambling for short-term support.
“It’s been a game changer for us, and I think that the data shows that it’s been a game changer for Hawaii,” Woo said.
The reconciliation bill passed by Congress introduces structural changes to SNAP that are expected to disproportionately affect low-income families, immigrants and older adults.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, more than 13,000 people in Hawaii could lose some or all of their benefits each month once expanded work requirements are implemented. Those newly affected include adults ages 55 to 64, parents of children ages 14 and older, veterans, homeless individuals and former foster youth.
The bill also restricts access for certain immigrant groups: refugees and asylum seekers will lose eligibility, though COFA citizens and Cuban or Haitian immigrants will remain covered. Other provisions eliminate Hawaii’s $1.5 million SNAP-Ed program in October 2025, freeze benefit allotments in 2027, and shift a larger share of administrative and benefit costs to the state. Depending on error rates, Hawaii could be required to pay between $36 million and $109 million annually toward SNAP benefits beginning as early as 2027.
Nate Hix of HIPHI underscored the magnitude of the cuts.
“Food Stamps, SNAP benefits — these are the biggest food assistance programs in the nation, by far. It brings in roughly $700 million in benefits to over 150,000 people in the state every year; the average benefit is $400 per month per beneficiary,” Hix said. “This is a massive program, and these cuts, whether it be through decreased funding for the administrative support or cutting people from their benefits.”
Hix said the ripple effects extend beyond families to Hawaii’s economy.
“That’s less money being spent at our local grocery stores, that’s less money being spent on other things,” he said. “This is a huge impact, something that we need to definitely be prepared for.”
At the same time, foodbanks are struggling to keep up with unprecedented needs.
Herman said that “demand has really skyrocketed, especially over the last two years.
“We’ve seen a surge of over 35% since 2023 and we are basically serving the same numbers as we were during the height of the pandemic,” she said.
Hawaii Foodbank works with over 250 partner agencies on Oahu and Kauai, alongside Maui Food Bank and The Food Basket on Hawaii island. Together, the statewide foodbank network has lost more than $4 million in federal food supplies due to cuts, Herman said, just as the number of families needing help continues to climb.
She added that MAZON’s funding has allowed the Foodbank to hire staff to engage in advocacy — bringing lived experiences and data to policymakers in hopes of securing sustainable solutions.
“Without the monthly boxes of food and produce, I don’t know how I would have survived,” one kupuna told the Foodbank about its senior program, Herman shared.
Advocates warn that the cuts could have a cascading effect. For example, children who lose SNAP benefits may also lose automatic eligibility for free school meals.
“So it has impacts beyond just that initial cut,” Herman said.
Hix said Hawaii must consider state-level solutions, such as raising the SNAP income eligibility threshold to 300% of the federal poverty level — similar to the state’s recent expansion of free school meal access through SB 1300.
Ultimately, he argued, Hawaii must address the root cause.
“It’s important that we need to end poverty in its entirety, because this is not a necessary feature of society, it’s something that we could do away with entirely.”
Woo agreed that the stakes are high.
“We know how much families are struggling to afford to live here … and we know that SNAP and Medicaid are probably going to get cut or are getting cut in the future. So this is a crucial time for our families,” she said. “If we want to keep families with children here in Hawaii, we need to leverage every penny of assistance that we can get.”
Source: The Garden Island
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