Advocates for a safer, cleaner and more business-friendly Chinatown have agitated for years to end meal giveaways at the River of Life Mission headquarters on North Pauahi Street. On Thursday, after 35 years of operation at the site, River Of Life served its final meal there.

The faith-based non-profit is transitioning to a Mobile Meals and Ministry Program that will aim to serve people who are hungry and homeless at “hub spots” closer to those in need, in groups no larger than 50.

“We want to make clear that we’re not moving, we’re going mobile,” said pastor Paul Gates, River of Life’s executive director. “And no matter what community we go into, we want to be a good neighbor.”

The River of Life meals program has attracted an approximate 800 people daily over the course of a breakfast, lunch and dinner, the mission reports. It’s to be expected that drawing a few hundred fewer people to the area will put less stress on the area, and be less stressful for those who need a meal, as they will not need to find their way to the location.

This new Mobile Meals program is just beginning, so it’s an open question as to whether the same number of people can be served. It’s hoped that the program can go beyond feeding people and be part of a larger effort to connect them with housing and other forms of aid, and to help people transition off the streets.

Chinatown advocates are hoping for more than simply an end to the meals program, of course; they want a thriving, safer, cleaner district that will attract people to the neighborhood for meals, shopping and entertainment, throughout the day and into the evenings.

That will take more than moving along River of Life’s meal service. We’ll be looking to see whether the city’s outreach programs, beefed-up police presence and carrot/stick Weed & Seed prosecution approach help Chinatown bloom.

As pandemic restrictions end, there are signs of this Chinatown revival. New restaurants are opening, and renovation work has begun at the historic Wo Fat building, which will house a boutique hotel. The Hawaii Theatre is again hosting stage acts. The Downtown Arts Center, Arts at Marks and Na Mea/Native Books are hosting exhibits and First Friday receptions.

In coming months, we’ll be looking to the city, the Chinatown community and River of Life to deliver a quantifiably better quality of life all round.