For two months after the fires, culinary students at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College helped prepare 10,000 meals a day for displaced fire victims. Students got credit hours for the experience as well as pay from grant funding.
But organizers knew it couldn’t last, since students had to get back to classes.
Culinary students weren’t ready to stop giving back to their community, though. They decided on a locally grown produce donation program as a way to still contribute to fire victims.
“We felt as though we wanted to continue providing something to the community, and we also knew the culinary arts program team needed to get back to their curriculum,” said Laura Lees Nagle, dean of career and technical education, in a UH press release.
“In discussions with Common Ground Collective (a nonprofit that promotes food security, educational and economic opportunities in Maui County), the produce boxes project seemed like an easy next step. Matson had already generously donated their refrigerated container for our use for a few weeks of meal prep and they instantly told us we could continue to use it until the end of the year.”
Natasha Joslin, an instructor in UH Maui College’s culinary arts program, is teaching a class about food purchasing, budgeting and kitchen inventory this semester. She suggested her students take on the produce box program.
“Why don't we take on managing the purchasing and assembling and distribution of these produce boxes,” she explained.
“It's going to be great real-life experience for them and we're also going to be able to be still contributing to the community. We have a few students in our program who have been displaced as well and they've all been hands-on helping the community and for the other students to feel like they're also giving back, I think it gives them a sense of purpose and of pride.”
Every week, the class manages the distribution of 200 boxes of locally grown produce to those affected by the wildfires.
“The folks who get the boxes are filled with so much gratitude and joy, they are overwhelmed with aloha,” said Lily Weber, a culinary arts student, in a UH press release. “It’s a beautiful sight to see!”
The project is supported by Common Ground Collective and the UH Foundation Feed Maui Fund. The program also supports local farmers, many of whom are also affected by the fires.
