For the Love of it, Local Church Feeds the Homeless

It’s a familiar sight. Among the tourists at the downtown Hilo bus terminal are some of East Hawai’i’s homeless, meandering through the park, and resting on benches.

Today three figures stood out from the crowd as they handed out brown sack lunches with hand-decorated bags that read, “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Brown bag lunches made by Kaumana Drive Baptist Church. Photo by Kristin Hashimoto.

Tony, Jenny and David from the Kaumana Drive Baptist Church, were handing out 67 lunches to the homeless. Ingredients were bought, donated and prepared by the congregation especially for this day.

Some people smiled, some were taken aback by the free lunches offered to them, and some said a simple “thank you.” Jenny remarked that she is painfully aware of the hunger problem on the island and is very concerned about the mothers and children.

Regularly, on the fourth Saturday of the month, the church provides food to the homeless and hungry. “You’ll see these young mothers with little kids…whole families, who need food,” said Jenny.

For today, those in need of something to fill their bellies received a sandwich, some popcorn and a drink. With a challenging population that disappears and reappears on side streets and into parks, handing out lunch was a way for the church to reach out and say, we’re thinking of you; you’re not forgotten.