Community donations needed to replenish food pantries across Hawaiʻi Island following Lala
As an active hurricane season continues, The Salvation Army corps food pantries in Hilo, Honokaʻa, and Kona are urgently seeking monetary donations to address growing shortages.
Hawaiʻi Island food pantries are requesting donations across its Hilo, Honokaʻa, and Kona corps due to shortages following Hurricane Lala.
The Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division Emergency Disaster Services teams are being readied for a response across Hawaiʻi as the storms’ trajectories are monitored closely, with a particular focus on Lowell’s sudden turn toward Kauaʻi.
Monetary donations are the priority request to fill the food pantries, providing the corps with the greatest flexibility in meeting evolving food item needs.
Individuals and local partners are also encouraged to connect with community corps for the best way to make food donations or provide additional support, with current Hawaiʻi Island needs including staples such as canned soup, meat, and vegetables, as well as dry goods like pasta and rice.
The Salvation Army corps food pantries in Hilo, Honokaʻa, and Kona distribute between 75 and 150 food bags, at an average cost of $50 per bag, during weekly distributions at each corps location.
Following Lala, needs and required resources are growing significantly. The Hilo corps reported 20 new families requesting assistance at their food pantry last Friday.
The Food Basket, which helps supplement supplies for The Salvation Army’s food pantries in Kona and Honokaʻa, has also responded to increased need across the island. With resources directed to support disaster relief efforts in hard-hit Kaʻū, scarcity is seen in the available staples needed to maintain ongoing pantry services in other affected areas.
“A bag of groceries can make a meaningful difference for a family facing hardship,” said Major Troy Trimmer, divisional commander of The Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division. “Many families across Hawaiʻi are already struggling to make ends meet, and the impacts of severe weather have only compounded those challenges.”
The active hurricane season has highlighted underlying challenges of housing and food security for individuals and families across the islands.
In the last three weeks, The Salvation Army has provided more than 12,800 meals and nearly $50,000 in direct financial assistance to families affected by Lala, particularly due to prolonged power outages.
To support corps food programs on Hawaiʻi Island in the wake of back-to-back severe weather systems, please donate through The Salvation Army website.
