Kauaʻi residents are being urged to donate blood and support hunger relief efforts as the state continues responding to the effects of Hurricane Lala.
On the east side, following Lala and gearing up for upcoming challenges, the Blood Bank of Hawaiʻi head a three-day drive that ends Thursday.
The blood bank has some appointment slots remaining for Thursday at the Sheraton Kauaʻi Coconut Beach Resort in Kapaʻa. The drive runs from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.. To schedule an appointment, click here or call 808-848-4770.
The blood bank collected 148 donations on the first day of its Kauaʻi drive on Tuesday, surpassing its daily goal of 130.
“My wife and I donated blood,” said Wes Perreira, director at Hawaiʻi Foodbank Kauaʻi. “Thatʻs also an immediate need, just like food.”
In Hawaiʻi, just 2% of the population donates blood, so the islands frequently depend on blood donations from the mainland to ensure a safe blood supply.
“We rely on each other for this lifesaving resource, and it’s amazing to see how Hawaiʻi shows up for our community after a disaster,” said Kim-Anh Nguyen, president and CEO of Blood Bank Hawaiʻi.
Earlier in August, the American Red Cross declared its second-ever national blood supply crisis after blood donations fell to a four-year summer low.
“We are so grateful to our Kauaʻi donors for coming out to the first day of our drive this week. As the state deals with the aftermath of Hurricane Lala, we are asking the Kauaʻi community to donate to help bolster our blood supply.”
As an added bonus this time, Garden Island residents who donate will be automatically entered to win a two-night stay at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa on Oʻahu.
Hawaiʻi Foodbank Kauaʻi also is asking residents to support hunger relief as the island prepares for its annual Food Drive Day on Aug. 29. The foodbank says nearly one in three households statewide faces food insecurity and that working famiies with children represent the largest group affected.
While the Līhuʻe warehouse and partner organizations continue helping communities affected by Lala, the Hawaiʻi Foodbank network has already sent humanitarian food rations to hard hit Big Island and is working to bring additional supplies, with water among the most urgent needs.
On average, the Hawaiʻi Foodbank Kauaʻi stores about 200,000 pounds of food in its 4,750-square-foot warehouse in Līhuʻe. That equates to enough food to feed the entire island for about eight days.
Food Drive Day this year will collect nonperishable food and monetary donations at its six core locations: Safeway stores in Līhuʻe and Kapaʻa, Walmart in Līhuʻe, and Big Save Markets in ʻEleʻele, Kōloa and Waimea.
Perreira told Kauaʻi Now on Tuesday: “Itʻs all about raising awareness of hunger in the community.”
He said this year the foodbank tried something different.
“We’re relying more on electronic donations instead of people having to put cash,” Perreira said. “Modernizing ourselves and getting with the times, and making it a bit easier for the folks since everyone always has their phones on them.”
He also reminded residents that the foodbank is available to all.
“You don’t have to be in need all the time,” Perreira said. “It can be just once a week, or just one day when you need some extra help. We are there to help everybody in whatever situation they find themselves in.
“Hawaiʻi’s economy is very challenging — real estate, the price of goods, gasoline and all of this stuff all contribute to the high cost of living. So our mission is to make sure nobody goes hungry, and that’s what we work hard to do every day.”
For more information on the Hawaiʻi Foodbank Kauaʻi and all its programs, call 808-482-2224 or click here to learn more or make a donation.
