The Hawaiʻi Foodbank and its affiliate partners on each island are increasing food distributions and outreach across the state following the recent storms.
The City and County of Honolulu invested $200,000 into the organization last week to support the increased demand for meals and food supply after Hurricane Lala and Tropical Storm Moke.
Foodbank President and CEO Amy Miller said that in the event of an emergency, like the two back-to-back storms, her team prepares well in advance if given enough time.
Before Lala hit earlier this month, the organization increased the amount of food in each distribution and purchased Survivor Daily Ration kits from FEMA. The Foodbank gave out more than 55,000 shelf-stable meals to residents on Oʻahu before the hurricane arrived.
Miller said emergency situations exacerbate already existing problems for many working families across the state, especially food insecurity.
“If you're already having a hard time ensuring you can get food on the table every night, you probably do not have a 14-day supply of food and water to last if there was a major disaster,” Miller told HPR.
The Foodbank works with about 250 partners statewide, and Miller emphasized that regardless of where someone lives, there are resources and connections that can be made to ensure every family is fed.
“We are firm believers that safe and healthy food is a basic human right,” she said. “It can be really hard to ask for help, but we have been really working to try to combat the idea that the foodbank is for somebody else. The foodbank is for everyone.”
On Hawaiʻi Island, the Food Basket’s Hilo warehouse is open everyday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and its Kona location is open from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. with emergency food. No preregistration is required.
Oʻahu has two food distributions this week: one today at the Kahuku Medical Center at 2:30 p.m. and tomorrow at the Waiʻanae Boat Harbor from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
