Hawai'i's faces of hunger
By Lori Kaya
The Hawaii Foodbank is the only nonprofit organization on O'ahu that collects, warehouses and distributes mass quantities of food for the hungry in Hawai'i. And here in our Island paradise, there is a great need that many may not realize.
Advertiser library photo
It all starts with donations. The Hawaii Foodbank collects donated food from Hawai'i's food retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors, as well as from individuals. The donated food arrives at the organization's warehouse, where it is weighed, inspected, sanitized, sorted and stored. The food is then distributed to more than 250 member agencies representing Hawai'i's food pan-tries, feeding programs, shelters for the homeless and abused, rehabilitation centers and soup kitchens. Member agencies then serve meals or distribute food boxes to the hungry in their communities.
Larry Arakaki, a warehouse worker, stocks refrigerated items on the shelves at the Hawaii Foodbank's facility on Kilihau Street.
Whom does the Hawaii Foodbank feed? You may not have to look very far to find the answers.
With the rising cost of living, Hawai'i's working families and individuals are finding it harder to make ends meet. Many are faced with making tough choices between putting food on the table or keeping roofs over their heads, paying utility bills or buying necessities such as soap, toothpaste, laundry detergent, clothing and school supplies.
| How to get involved
You can help feed Hawai'i's hungry through Kraft's Check-Out Hunger at your neighborhood Safeway, Times, Tamura and Kokua markets or by donating cans of fruit and vegetables at any Jamba Juice store. Donations also can be made at the Hawaii Foodbank, 2611 Kilihau St. Information: 836-3600 or see www.hawaiifoodbank.org. |
Hawai'i's elderly also struggle to make ends meet, with many living on fixed incomes through Social Security, pension plans or a combination of both.
In addition to everyday living expenses, increased healthcare costs force many seniors to make a painful choice between buying food or medications. Without good nutrition, the elderly are more likely to have chronic health conditions, osteoporosis, conditions that impair digestion or nutrient absorption, as well as vulnerability to infection.
Food assistance helps many of our elderly. Among them, a 63-year-old Waimanalo woman who lives either in her car or with friends as she awaits approval for senior housing.
The woman, who did not want her name used, lives on her disability income, which she receives through Social Security. Since 1994, she has suffered several spinal injuries and is forced to use a cane. Living on a slim budget, her grocery-store purchases are limited to staple food such as rice and meat. She usually bypasses the produce section as a luxury she cannot afford.
With the help of Ohana Produce and her Medicaid coverage, she has so far been one of the lucky ones and has not been forced to choose between nutritious food or the medication she needs for her pain.
The elderly and the working poor are just part of the picture of hunger in Hawai'i.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
From low-income families come low-income children. Many participate in the federal government's free or reduced-cost breakfast and lunch programs at school. But what happens during school breaks when that regular source of food is not readily available? Families do what they can, but a lack of nutrition at home has serious consequences on the physical and academic development of children.
Mayor Jeremy Harris welcomed the large number of guests to The Salvation Army Thanksgiving Dinner last Thursday at NBC Exhibition Hall.
Physical consequences include diminished ability to resist illness, higher frequency of stomach aches, headaches, colds, ear infections and fatigue, and greater incidence of hospitalizations. Without proper nutrition, children also experience a diminished capacity to learn, have lower test scores, poorer overall achievement, repeat grades and experience increased school absences, tardiness and school suspensions.
Now, through the Ohana Produce Program, fresh fruits and vegetables are distributed every Wednesday to the students at Lanakila Elementary School. Last year, the Hawaii Foodbank provided 31,000 pounds of produce to students and their families, most of whom qualified for the federal government's free or reduced-cost breakfast and lunch program.
In addition to the Lanakila Elementary School distribution, the Hawaii Foodbank also provides food to preschool and daycare centers such as Rainbow Schools and Family Services Center Preschool. Other schools interested in participating are encouraged to contact the food bank.
The Hawaii Foodbank also feeds the homeless through member agencies such as the Institute for Human Services and River of Life Mission. Victims of domestic abuse are helped through shelters such as Pu'u Honua Domestic Violence Drop In Center. The disabled receive help through rehabilitation centers such as Goodwill Industries Hawai'i.
Hunger can be the result of all sorts of circumstances: a serious illness, a drop in wages or temporary job loss. Please give generously this holiday season. The face of hunger in Hawai'i may be closer to you than you think.
Lori Kaya is grants and communications manager for the Hawaii Foodbank. She wrote this article for The Advertiser.
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The Hawaii Foodbank network is built on the work of 250 member agencies representing Hawai'i's food pantries, feeding programs, shelters for the homeless and abused, rehabilitation centers and soup kitchens. Each week, the network feeds about 118,000 people, including: • 43,000 children. • 17,000 elderly. • 9,000 homeless. The needy face tough choices: • 44 percent must choose between food and rent. • 43 percent between food and utilities. • 28 percent between food and medications. Source: Hawaii Foodbank and America's Second Harvest's "Hunger in America 2001."
THE HAWAII FOODBANK
