What services does Hawaii Foodbank provide, and what is its budget?

Hawaii Foodbank is a nonprofit organization that has provided food assistance to the state for 40 years. As the official Feeding America food bank of Hawaii, we serve Oahu and Kauai directly, while partnering with The Food Basket to serve Hawaii County, and Maui Food Bank to serve Maui County. Last year, we distributed more than 17 million pounds of food, including nearly 5.6 million pounds of fresh produce on Oahu and Kauai. Our total annual budget is nearly $50 million.

What challenges and trends face the Foodbank?

We are in a very challenging time. Inflation is hitting people hard, especially those who were already struggling to put food on the table or were barely making ends meet. Those who struggle with hunger find themselves in a particularly vulnerable situation. On top of that, we are also serving people now who have never had to ask for help before. Federal pandemic programs have either ended or will end soon and our food supply is also slowing down; for instance, USDA commodity foods are down by nearly 75%. Giving back now can make all the difference: Find options at HawaiiFoodbank.org.

Inflation is affecting everyone. Retail donations are down. And costs are going up: In the last year, the cost of boxed spaghetti has increased 57%; canned peaches cost 66% more; and chicken is up 108%. Other operational expenses, such as fuel, have also increased, which is concerning.

Long-term health issues, educational issues and other add-on negative effects for children can stem from food insecurity. We have to collectively acknowledge that it is not OK for people in our community to go hungry. It’s important we work together to address this issue comprehensively.

We are moving from being a supply- driven organization, focused on how much food we can easily source, to a demand-driven organization, with the people we serve at the center of all we do. Using data, Hawaii Foodbank is working to understand food insecurity levels across the state, to map out what it will take to meet needs and end hunger in Hawaii.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, hunger in Hawaii has reportedly increased by nearly 60%. Are there signs that this crisis is resolving? What is needed, from a state policy standpoint, to lessen this critical need?

Nearly 250,000 Hawaii residents are currently struggling with hunger, including more than 69,000 keiki.

Earlier in the calendar year, our numbers were going down, and it seemed like things were beginning to resolve. But now we are seeing our numbers tick back up, due to inflation and other factors.

At the state level, there are many things we could do to address food insecurity. It starts with funding, and we’re especially grateful for the state’s new Emergency Food Assistance Program, which will help Hawaii’s food banks meet communities’ needs.

We also need to support programs for our most vulnerable populations, such as our kupuna and our keiki — for instance, ensuring all children have regular access to healthy meals, in school and between sessions.

On Food Drive Day in August, Hawaii Foodbank collected more than 20,000 pounds of food and $82,000 in statewide donations. What was the Foodbank’s experience during the pandemic? What has proven most successful?

During the pandemic we pivoted to virtual Food Drive Days, and this was really successful: We raised more than $100,000 in each of those years and were so grateful for the generous community support.

Our in-person Food Drive Day plays an important role in generating awareness about both Hawaii Foodbank and food insecurity in Hawaii. People connect directly with our mission by giving tangible donations. These things are really important to us. However, through our affiliation with Feeding America, we can stretch monetary donations further, with more purchasing power to provide healthy, balanced meals.

Last year, 32% of the food we distributed was fresh produce, which is harder for individuals to donate, through a partnership with the Hawaii Farm Bureau. Food insecurity isn’t a one-day event, so we are looking to build awareness throughout the year. We are also looking to work with companies and coalitions to have smaller, periodic food drives.

Are there trends in providing service that have proven useful in reaching all who need this help?

One of our major commitments is to ensure that everyone in Hawaii has consistent and equitable access to safe and nutritious food. Everyone deserves a seat at the table. At Hawaii Foodbank, we use data to help drive decisions and research to be well-informed about the communities we serve, in order to provide equitable access. We are working to identify and break down barriers to access to ensure no one falls through the cracks.

We are mapping out food insecurity rates by ZIP codes and Census tracts and overlaying that information with distribution data. This will allow us to determine which geographic areas might be underserved and how to address them. We are also working to identify and develop additional programs aimed at addressing any equity issues identified, such as translation services.

THE BIO FILE

>> Title: President/CEO, Hawaii Foodbank

>> Professional: Joined Hawaii Foodbank in 2021; previously senior vice president and chief operating officer, Bishop Museum; development positions, Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, and The Dolphin Institute/Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Lab.

>> Family: Husband, Chris, owns a consulting practice; two school-age daughters.

>> One more thing: “Hawaii has the second-highest rate of child food insecurity in the country. This should be unacceptable to all of us. I believe the only way to create meaningful change for our keiki is to come together as a community to resolve it.”