Students enjoy free meals at parks
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By James Gonser
Advertiser Staff Writer
Hundreds of children at six city parks lined up for free meals yesterday, taking advantage of the city's program to feed low-income students who are missing meals because of the prolonged teachers strike. The program will continue next week, according to city spokeswoman Carol Costa.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
At Nanakuli Community Park, each child was given a bowl with hot chili and rice with a big hot dog, along with a spoon and a napkin. Their hands were stamped with a teddy bear dressed in a Japanese kimono and each was handed an application for the city's Summer Fun program.
Students from the Kalihi area chow down on a free chili-rice and frank lunch provided by the city as a substitute for the school lunch programs that were lost to low-income families because of the teachers strike.
Becky Matsui, recreational director at Nanakuli Community Park, said more than 100 students ate their lunch within the first 30 minutes. Several children from homeless families camped nearby also came over for a free meal.
The free meals were available to all children who showed up at the city's six park locations.
Jeanette Nekota watched as streams of children walked down from the Nanakuli Homestead area.
"That is why we wanted it here," said Nekota, who is credited with getting the emergency lunch project going. "It's shady and the kids could walk down by themselves."
Nekota, assistant unit manager for the Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center, said without federally subsidized school meals, many children in low-income areas are going hungry as families quickly run through their monthly allotment of food stamps to make up for the loss.
Nekota approached Mayor Jeremy Harris last week to help feed the children, and he agreed.
Costa said the lunch program will be held again from 11 a.m to noon Monday at Nanakuli Community Park, Wai'anae District Park, Papakolea Community Park, Kalihi Valley Park, Waipahu District Park and Waimanalo District Park.
Nanakuli resident Lily Sasaki, a volunteer helping to serve food, has two children in elementary school. "Word hasn't gotten out yet to everybody that free lunch is being served," Sasaki said. "Many people don't have a TV or read the paper. More will be here next week as word gets out."
More than 700 lunches were served at all locations yesterday, Costa said.
Regina Gomes, a Nanakuli Hawaiian Homestead resident, said the free meal is important for poor families in the area.
"Lots of kids come over to my house to eat, and I won't turn away a child asking for food," Gomes said.
Statewide, about 47 percent of students participate in federally subsidized lunch program, but in Nanakuli, the number is close to 80 percent.
Correction: A previous version of this story should have mentioned that the free meals being provided by the city Friday to low-income students because of the teachers' strike were available to all children who showed up at the city's six park locations.
