St. Joseph students learn lessons in giving back through a food drive for federal workers

After distributing food to community members, 11 students from St. Joseph Elementary School made sure to wish everyone “Happy Thanksgiving” in perfect unison.

On Wednesday, sixth graders from Nalani Okabayashi’s class spent the day before the Thanksgiving holiday handing out food donations they collected at school to federal workers at the Keaukaha Military Reservation. The students organized the fundraiser entirely.

“I took on this project because many of these students are only children and are well taken care of. I wanted them to get involved in the community so they would know and understand how it feels to give back,” Okabayashi said. “This has been a great learning opportunity for them. Many of them didn’t understand what nonperishable food was two weeks ago, and since then, they planned this from beginning to end.”

Okabayashi said the students chose what they wanted each grade level to donate and turned it into a competition to encourage students and families to contribute. The class collected 1,000 food donations, which were matched by The Food Basket.

“They had to learn many lessons to be knowledgeable in what to do. We all did research together on who federal workers are and why they may need extra help right now,” Okabayashi said. “We wanted to make sure the donations were going to a good place, and luckily, we were able to host the food drive on the base, which was a very secure location.”

Captain Kevin Tam, 1st Squadron 299th Cavalry Hawaiʻi Army National Guard, facilitated the food drive and helped secure the donations from The Food Basket since the nonprofit and National Guard have collaborated on multiple food drives for veterans and active military members over the past two years.

Before the partnership began, Khanon, a St. Joseph student, met with Tam to discuss the details of the food distribution.

“We heard about the federal shutdown a couple of weeks ago, and that it was happening since October, so we wanted to give back to the community,” Khanon said. “It was new for me meeting with influential people. It felt good to see it all happen today.”

Along with the food drive, students were also able to tour Keaukaha Military Reservation where they could ask questions and get an up close look at vehicles and static displays.

“Students had a truly great, well-rounded day before the long, Thanksgiving weekend. They are great kids,” Okabayashi said.

Tam has helped facilitate multiple food drives at Keaukaha Military Reservation and has been an advocate for veterans and military members who experience food insecurity daily.

“Grocery prices are expensive, and soldiers are making less here, which causes them to turn to cheaper options, like fast food,” Tam said. “The number of veterans and current service members who are food insecure is shockingly high. Many of them don’t seek help, so I try to bring help to them.”

During the government shutdown this year, Tam and National Guard members helped The Food Basket facilitate its ʻOhana Food Drops and support Hawaiʻi’s federal workers, many of whom have not yet received a paycheck.

“It feels great being able to work with young people as they experience what it is like to really help their community. They are a positive force who are truly eager to help,” Tam said. “Even if it’s your first time, I encourage everyone to volunteer for a cause that will benefit the island community this holiday season.”