Kauaʻi collects 3,000 pounds of food during Saturday drive, but falls short of last year’s donations

Volunteers were stationed at eight sites across Kauaʻi on Saturday, collecting in six hours a combined 3,000 pounds of non-perishable food, with a majority of it rice, and monetary donations.

It was part of the annual Food Drive Day by the Hawaiʻi Foodbank. The donations from the food bankʻs biggest drive of the year help to stock shelves for the remainder of summer and ahead of the holiday season.

“This weekend was good; however, it was a little slower than last year,” said Tisha Remigio, assistant director for Hawaiʻi Foodbank Kauaʻi. She was collecting donations at Ching Young Village in Hanalei.

The overall collection was sharply down from the 7,000 pounds of non-perishable food collected last year during the drive.

The lower amount comes at a time when a federal food program is losing major funding.

On July 4, the U.S. Congress passed the Budget Reconciliation Bill, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” The legislation pushed by the Trump Administration includes a range of significant changes across various sectors, including healthcare, social programs, taxes, education and immigration.

One major cut in funding is to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, which serves many families in Hawai’i. The bill is estimated to cut SNAP funding by $230 billion over 10 years and it adds additional work requirements to be eligible, according to ABC News. 

In response to the bill, the Hawai‘i Foodbank issued a statement to Congress stating it was “a serious blow to our community,” according to the foodbank’s website.

Hawaiʻi Foodbank added that the bill was signed at a time “when hunger remains widespread across Hawai‘i, and the need for food assistance is already far beyond what many organizations can manage alone.”

The Hawaiʻi Foodbank serves about 14,000 residents on Kauaʻi.

The Food Day Drive was hoping to fill some of the gap.

On Kauaʻi, smiling volunteers collected donations at the Big Save in Waimea, ʻEleʻele, Koloa and Kapaʻa. They also were stationed at the Walmart in Līhuʻe, the Safeway in Līhuʻe and Kapaʻa, and Ching Young Village in Hanalei.

They were trying to help the approximately 10,000 children on Kauaʻi who face food insecurity, according to Hawaiʻi Foodbankʻs website.

The SNAP cuts are in addition to decreased funding to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Emergency Food Assistance Program, known as TEFAP.

Remigio said the foodbank already has seen drops in that funding, but is trying to “make up for it.”

Since 1995, the Hawaiʻi Foodbank has served as a vital support for island communities on the Garden Isle.

On average, the Hawaiʻi Foodbank Kauaʻi stores about 200,000 pounds of food in their 4,750-square-foot warehouse in Līhuʻe. That equates to enough food to feed the entire island for about eight days.

“We know one major issue is having access to the food,” Remigio said. “This year, we brought on our mobile pantry in hopes to meet families in their area, and show that there is no shame, this is normal.”

During the July 29 tsunami warning scare, the food bank, in close collaboration with the Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency, was “well informed” with six agencies across the island, equipped and ready with a Starlink, which provides internet through satellites, to better communicate and keep up to date with food distribution.

Overall, Safeway Līhuʻe saw the highest donations in both non-perishable and monetary donations. Volunteers stationed there received a proclamation from Kauaʻi Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami, highlighting the direct link between the well-being of Kauaʻi and the health of its people.

The proclamation also emphasized that “ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for everyone is crucial for creating a stronger future for the community.”

The proclamation underscored the importance of feeding families while also striving to eliminate hunger for future generations.

“We know times are hard and we want our community to know that we are here, so please utilize our services,” Remigio said. “It’s out there. Just contact us.”

Everyone is welcome at Hawaiʻi’s Foodbank Kauai. For more information on its programs, call 808-482-2224, or to learn more or make a donation, click here.