Former University of Hawaii offensive lineman Leo Koloamatangi has pushed the “pause” button on his NFL career to move forward on helping the 50th State’s elderly during the pandemic.

Koloamatangi and four associates have started Grammi, a company that provides a free support system for Hawaii’s seniors. Grammi also is preparing to launch a service that will provide delivery of groceries and essential supplies to kupuna. There is no delivery fee.

After two months of training volunteers, Grammi opened its companion program last week. Through telephone calls, texts and video chats, according to Koloamatangi, seniors can connect with volunteers to “talk story” and share concerns.

“One of the biggest issues with many seniors is loneliness and negligence,” said Koloamatangi, adding shelter-in-place guidelines have heightened the isolation. “It was a super apparent issue we were looking to address. The Grammi companion program is a quick, efficient way to touch base with our kupuna, talk story with our seniors. … Something as simple as — ‘how’s your day going?’ or “how has COVID affected you?’ — that goes a long way during these times. That’s something we think is practical and impactful.”

Koloamatangi said Grammi also will drop off puzzles and conduct virtual games for seniors. There is no fee to join the companion program. The call center number is 1-800-605-0042.

Koloamatangi said the grocery service has a two-fold purpose. He said the hope is local businesses will be used to stimulate the economy. He said the options for free deliveries will be available through an easy-to-read format at grammi.io.

“This website is literally the ugliest website you’ve seen in your life,” Koloamatangi said of the senior-friendly page. “It’s super wordy. The font is huge. All the colors are non-threatening. We’re talking about very straight forward, very wordy buttons. There’s no marketing or advertising allowed on the website. We’re creating a kupuna-friendly environment where they can live life remotely, they can ensure food security, they can ensure social activities.”

Koloamatangi, who lives with his wife and daughter in Los Angeles, has been a vocal safety advocate since the start of the pandemic. In March, two close relatives died a week apart from the coronavirus.

“We were watching their funerals on Facebook Live,” Koloamatangi said. “It was nuts to go through that. Polynesian funerals are huge, and for that to be stripped away, social gatherings to be stripped away.”

In July, Koloamatangi, a reserve linemen with the New York Jets, decided to opt out of the 2020 season because of COVID-19 concerns. His wife is expecting the couple’s second child in March. He said the decision was difficult because “this is my career and this is how I put food on the table.”

At the time, the New York metropolitan area was one of the hot spots for the virus.

With assurances he would get another shot in the NFL next year, Koloamatangi focused on helping the elderly. Koloamatangi had considered to open Grammi in three places he has lived — California, Detroit and New York/New Jersey — but opted to focus on Hawaii, where he spent five years as a student-athlete. Koloamatangi said Hawaii’s large elderly population and the economic downturn spurred by the decline in tourism were factors.

“I couldn’t ignore it,” Koloamatangi said. “We had to find ways to support Hawaii.”