Support Food Security this Thanksgiving

Photos courtesy of Chef Hui Hawaiʻi, Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation, Open Kitchen Oʻahu, and The Farmlink Project

This Thanksgiving holiday, Jack would like to thank our local farmers, as well as all of the organizations and volunteers working to promote food security in our communities. To support the 1 in 6 Hawaii residents who struggle with hunger, Jack is making a donation to the Hawaii Food Bank in honor of his good friend Paula Fuga. If you are able, consider volunteering or make a donation this holiday to your local food bank, or to a non-profit working for an equitable and resilient food system.

On Oʻahu, the Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation, in collaboration with Chef Hui, recently distributed 600 Mahiʻai Meal Kits to select Oʻahu public schools that participate in KHF’s ʻĀINA In Schools Program. In the spirit of giving thanks, these boxes were intended to thank farmers and give the gift of togetherness and fresh local produce to families. The Chef Hui Give & Go Community Meal Program partners with restaurants and catering companies such as Open Kitchen Oʻahu and Kaimuki Superette in Hawaiʻi to prepare meals that are distributed to communities in need, while also sourcing ingredients from local farmers. Innovative ideas such as these are restructuring our food system and providing jobs, meals and resiliency to our communities.

We are also inspired by the team of college students that created The Farmlink Project in response to the disruption of the food supply chain caused by COVID-19. The Farmlink Project connects farms with a surplus of fresh, nutritious produce to communities in need. They recently completed a delivery of 100 lbs of ʻulu (breadfruit) from Molaha Farms to the Hawaiʻi Food Bank, and have delivered over 15 million pounds of produce to food banks across the country. The Farmlink Project has a goal of getting one million meals to families in need for Thanksgiving. Get involved, volunteer, or consider making a donation and it will be matched dollar-for-dollar for the rest of the year!

Support for equitable food systems is more important than ever, and essential conversations are taking place around the interconnections between food justice and racial justice. The HEAL Food Alliance has created the Platform for Real Food as a roadmap to nourish our health, economies and environment. Soul Fire Farm is working to uproot racism and seed food sovereignty. The Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance advocates for dynamic Native food systems, and the First Nations Development Institute supports Native communities as they build sustainable food systems that improve health and strengthen food security.

Wishing all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!