Lori Kaya, development and communications director for the Foodbank, said her organization expects to meet its goal of raising $425,000 and 550,000 pounds of food during the drive, which ends April 16 — despite the fact that donations are down as a result of the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster.

Normally donations increase around Christmastime, she said.

"We noticed between December and January, during our annual holiday campaign called, 'Check-Out Hunger,' that people's focus switched over to the people's need in Indonesia — and rightly so," Kaya said.

"Now that we've officially kicked off the food drive campaign, we will slowly be building awareness about the needs here."

Kaya said the Foodbank relies on building awareness among the many people affiliated with the numerous coalition organizations, such as local hotel workers or employees in businesses that make up the airport coalition.

"We don't have people lining up outside our door to be fed," said Polly Kauahi, director of development for the Hawaii Foodbank. "That's a misconception. We have numerous member agencies — such as Catholic Charities and the Institute of Human Services — that get their food through us."

O'ahu alone has 250 member agencies, both big and small, Kauahi said. Some are strictly volunteer operated. Others are large, with feeding programs and staff.

Each agency has a different way of distributing the food, she said — some pantries hand out the food in the form of groceries, while some shelters prepare the food to be eaten.

"The hungry have many different faces," said Kauahi. "They're not necessarily the homeless. A large percentage of those we serve are the working poor. They have a job, they have a room or a place to stay, but they're not making enough to pay their rent and utility bills as well make their car payment or buy their bus pass and still have quality food at the end of the month."

Last year the Foodbank distributed nearly 9 million pounds of food. The key to reaching its goals this year lies in building awareness, said Kaya, particularly among the coalition organizations.

"Today was a good start," said Kaya. "Now that we've officially kicked off the food drive campaign, we will be slowly building awareness about the needs here in Hawai'i."