Several public school parents and their kids yesterday distributed meals and books to homeless children at Kaka'ako Waterfront Park, an attempt to bring attention to the estimated 1,700 schoolchildren who likely go without free, school-provided breakfast and lunch on "furlough Fridays."

The service project was organized by Save Our Schools Hawaii, a parent group that emerged after the state announced a new contract deal, which furloughs public school teachers for 17 days each year for the next two school years.

Terri Zucchero, a nurse practitioner and mother of three children at Noelani Elementary School in Mänoa, helped organize the project. She said the public school furloughs leave homeless children especially vulnerable.

"I've been particularly concerned about the impact of furlough Fridays on homeless children. This is going to be the fourth furlough Friday they are going without meals," said Zucchero, who works as an instructor at UH-Mänoa's School of Nursing, focusing on homelessness health issues.

Zucchero said most homeless children receive free breakfast and lunch at school through the federal school lunch program.

The group passed out brown-bag lunches on the park's hillside. The meals included fruit, organic chips and granola bars, sandwiches and fruit juice.

The group of about a dozen parents and their children wheeled red carts filled with books and stuffed animals through the tent-laden park. Several homeless children rummaged through the storybooks and toys, and walked away with armfuls of treasures.

Eight-year-old Tiare Talo, who attends Royal Elementary School near Punchbowl, found a hardcover Disney storybook among the heap of books in the cart. She displayed it with a wide-eyed smile.

"I love this kind of stuff," she said.

Her 2-year-old sister, Jovan Talo, went straight to a box of stuffed animals. She selected a furry, floppy-armed monkey and gave it a tight hug.

Inger Kwaku, whose two children attend Kähala Elementary School, helped prepare bag lunches near the park's hillside. She said she tried to use the project as a learning opportunity for her own children.

"I tried to explain to them that some kids rely on food from school. We went to Costco and Times together," Kwaku said.

Her children also wanted to donate their own toys and books, she said.

Kwaku said members of the group are pleased that state officials appear to be making progress toward restoring the furlough days. But they're disappointed that it had to happen in the first place.

"Education needs to be a top priority," Kwaku said.