Big Islandʻs food bank adds more programs to battle rising costs and insecurity
Command Sgt. Major Jessica Cho from Pohakuloa Training Area loads potatoes onto a truck while distributing food to veterans and fellow service members at the Keaukaha Military Reservation during the first food drop between The Hawaiʻi Island Food Basket and the Hawaiʻi Army National Guard on Feb. 23, 2024. (Kelsey Walling, Big Island Now)
Big Island Now | By Kelsey Walling
Published November 16, 2024 at 1:00 AM HST
Kristin Frost Albrecht, executive director of The Hawaiʻi Island Food Basket, said: “With Thanksgiving around the corner, it’s a time when everyone starts to think about hunger, and itʻs a huge problem.”
According to a study by the Hawaiʻi Foodbank, more than 40% of Big Island households were reported as experiencing food insecurity in 2023, which means they did not have enough to eat and didn’t know where their next meal would come from. This is the highest rate of food insecurity in the state.
The Hawaiʻi Island Food Basket is adding more programs to meet the growing immediate need, while also working toward its lofty goal of making the island fully self-sustainable to end hunger.
The Food Basket is partnering with the Hawaiʻi Army National Guard for its next ʻOhana Food Drop from 1 to 3 p.m. on Dec. 6 at the Keaukaha Military Reservation. The drop is focused on serving Hawaiʻi Islandʻs veterans, service members of all military branches and their families, which have a large percentage of people facing food insecurity.
