According to the Hawaiʻi Food Bank, one in four keiki lives in a household experiencing food shortages. The pandemic has not made it any easier for families to put food on their table.
A program to combat this issue will launch next Monday statewide.
Kaukau 4 Keiki will deliver a one-week meal kit of breakfasts and lunches for children 18 and under in rural communities. The program will last seven weeks, but Oʻahu has an additional week and began distribution this week.
Dexter Kishida, Food Security and Sustainability Program Manager for the City and County of Honolulu, is one of the leaders of the Kaukau 4 Keiki program.
"Many of our families are facing some level of food insecurity," he said. "Even though the economy is opening up at a great pace, the last year - or actually over a year - of economic hardship had many of our families charging their rent or food and putting it on credit."
"There’s going to be some time that it’s gonna take for our families to recover. If we can help relieve some of that by utilizing the USDA program, so federal funds, even better if we can help to relieve a little bit of pressure from our families," he explained.
The program is full, but families can sign onto a waitlist. Opportunities will open up if the program receives more federal funding and volunteers. To apply, visit kaukau4keiki.org.
