WAIMEA — The state Department of Education spring break is a time when the need for food shows its head, as school meals, including the grab-and-go lunches, are not served to students, many of whom belong to families still struggling with unemployment and an uncertain future.
A collective group brought together by state Senate President Ron Kouchi will host a spring break food giveaway Tuesday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in a no-appointment, drive-thru format in the Waimea Canyon Middle School parking lot.
“This is meant to help Westside families that have children in schools from ‘Ele‘ele through Kekaha,” said Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank Executive Director Kelvin Moniz, who is partnering with the Frank and Belinda VanderSloot Foundation, Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative, Pepsi, Kaua‘i Lifeguard Association, Kekaha Agriculture Association, Hawai‘i Meats and the Hawai‘i Health Systems Corporation Kaua‘i Region to facilitate the giveaway.
Lsat week, KIFB partnered with Gather Federal Credit Union, the East Kaua‘i Lions Club, the Zonta Club of Kaua‘i and associates of the Kaua‘i Marriott Resort &Beach Club to host a food distribution for Kaua‘i Marriott employees, who received packages of momentos in addition to the food packages and hot meals being distributed.
The hot meals that included miso-braised pork and nishime-style vegetables was made possible by Gather Federal Credit Union.
“These Marriott people are special,” said Terri Kaniho of Gather Federal Credit Union. “We had prepaid for our annual party that we couldn’t have because COVID-19 came. The Marriott said they would provide 500 meals for us when we wanted them. This was a good place to take them up on their offer — have the meals delivered to their employees and some being delivered to kupuna by our people.”
When a landslide in Hanalei Friday cut off the communities from Hanalei to Ha‘ena from the rest of the island, KIFB was called on to partner with the Kaua‘i Government Employees Federal Credit Union and Kaua‘i Fire Department’s Ocean Safety Bureau in coordinating a special food delivery that was distributed by KGEFCU from Hale Halawai in Hanalei through the efforts of KGEFCU CEO Monica Belz for families impacted by the landslide and rains over the past several days.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
Source: The Garden Island
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