Millions of Americans lost their jobs amidst Covid 19, causing 53% of people that already suffered from limited food access to have even fewer financial resources than they did before. On top of the pandemic, food prices also surged during the same period.
Because of the economic crisis from the pandemic, food insecurity in Hawai'i has grown by more than 50% than what it was before.
Now, nearly a quarter of a million Hawaii residents are currently struggling with hunger. Among them are out-of-work parents, isolated kūpuna, and 1 in 4 keiki.
According to a recent University of Hawai'i report, which also found:
Some 15% of Hawaii families with children reported in March that they didn’t have enough food at sometime in that week or often in the previous week.
76% of families with very low food security had lost income because of the pandemic.
In 2020, an estimated 90,000 children in the islands lived in households that lacked access to “enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members.”
Photo provided from Hawaii Foodbank
How you can help:
Hawaii Foodbank is a great organization you can support! They have contributed various solutions to be put in place in order to continue providing safe food access throughout the pandemic.
They have currently:
Launched various Pop-up Food Distributions across O‘ahu and Kaua‘i to accommodate the large numbers of Hawaii residents who have lost access to food due to COVID-19
Are working closely with their network of food partner agencies to help keep as many food assistance opportunities open as possible
Purchased more than $12.5 million worth of emergency food.
How to help our community through Hawaii Foodbank:
Donate: Because of Hawaii Foodbank's affiliation with Feeding America, they're able to stretch your dollars further. A donation of $10 helps provide food for 25 meals.
Join the Virtual Food Drive: Their new Virtual Food Drive allows you to donate some of their most-needed items — all from the comfort and safety of home.
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