There are plenty of choices locally to choose from when deciding where/when/how to give of your time or money. Some non-profits are large and well-known, while others fly under the radar while also providing invaluable services throughout our community.
One such unheralded entity is The Pantry on Rose Street in Kalihi. This free, food distribution location is a wonder to behold. On a May field trip with Aloha United Way (my employer), I had the pleasure of visiting during peak hours. The Pantry’s operation is phenomenal for numerous reasons.
#1- The Pantry provides much needed food to thousands of local residents. Sadly (as you’ve been reminded recently) local food demands continue soaring. May was the largest distribution month in The Pantry’s history; it served 46% more families than in May, 2023!
#2- the Pantry has just three full-time employees. Three. On average, The Pantry welcomes 45 volunteers during its limited hours of food distribution; a well-oiled, service machine. Needy people anonymously (first-name only) order on-line (limit of 10 items per person in a household per visit) and then either walk in or drive-thru, as volunteers select boxes that were custom-packed the day prior and place them into fast-moving shopping carts for quick, parking lot delivery.
Employees and volunteers recognize multiple clients- 19% of weekly clients are regulars; 20% are kupuna; 29% are under age 18 or keiki; 39% reside in Aloha United Way’s ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed) households, with household income levels above the federal poverty line, but they’re barely getting by.
#3- volunteers possess boundless energy, working happily and harmoniously within cramped, but coordinated, Pantry confines. Neighbors helping neighbors. CEOs, active and retired military, and community members volunteering alongside one another, for a cause, for the people.
A major issue (deserving more discussion) is how to provide more fresh and nutritious food while also growing the supply chain and providing quality food, when possible. More access and coordination with local farms; more awareness of The Pantry, religious sites that offer food, and other food distribution locations. Call AUW’s 211 for additional food-availability information. The Pantry has room to warehouse more food to serve more people more often, if provided with necessary funding. This is just one example of the great social work that often goes unnoticed locally. Volunteer, donate, provide expertise, help coordinate more food distribution opportunities. Fill your soul as you help fill people’s bellies. A win-win.
Think about it…