Hawaiʻi ranks 50th in low-income children participating in national school breakfast program
Some 25,559 low-income Hawaiʻi children participated in the School Breakfast Program during the 2019–2020 school year—or about 40 percent of those eligible.
Program allows donations for grab-and-go meals
All through September, customers visiting Safeway stores in Hawaiʻi can donate to the annual Nourishing Neighbors fundraiser to support anti-hunger initiatives.
New sponsors sought as free meals for Hawaiʻi kids drop for summer
Community programs are supplementing the Grab-and-Go program but they too are lagging behind last summer’s participation and may not be enough to meet demand.
DOE closing some food sites, advocates concerned that community help may not be enough
Nicole Woo, senior policy analyst with Hawaiʻi Appleseed, worries that other community groups may not be around this summer to pick up the slack.
YMCA of Honolulu extends grab-and-go free meal distribution through April 3 for children in need
The healthy lunches prepared according to USDA standards, will continue to be distributed to children in need 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Mon.–Fri., through April 3.
Nonprofits including YMCA offer free lunches to keiki on Oʻahu
Nonprofit groups are offering free grab-and-go lunches to children at various sites on Oʻahu to supplement those being offered at many public schools by the DOE.
Community groups offer free lunch to kids
The grab-and-go meals at a handful of sites around Oʻahu supplement the DOE’s own meal service which began this week while schools are closed.
Every keiki needs a (healthy) breakfast
It's up to all of us to ensure that our keiki have the nutrition they need to be academically successful and healthy.
Let’s not roll back on Hawaiʻi schools’ healthy lunch strides
We need to stand up to the Trump Administration’s misguided attempts to weaken nutrition standards.
Report questions Hawaiʻi’s low enrollment rate in after school supper program
Tens of thousands of low-income kids in Hawaiʻi are eligible for free after-school suppers, but only 259 students were signed up to get the meals last year.
Hawaiʻi ranks last in afterschool suppers to keiki
Out of the 66,550 keiki who ate free or reduced-price school lunch in Hawaiʻi in 2018, only 259 also had an after school supper.
Corporate citizenship: companies giving back
On Oct. 17, 2019, 5 percent of proceeds from Hawaiʻi’s four Whole Foods Market locations will be donated to expand access to school meals for keiki.
Why Hawaiʻi kids can still be denied school lunches
A 2017 law required schools give students a grace period before withholding meals for those behind in their payments.
DOE leadership starting work on new 10-year strategic plan
With the DOE’s current plan due to sunset in 2020, it’s clear many academic success “targets,” such as reducing student absenteeism and increasing teacher retention, won’t be met.
Hawaiʻi ranks last in participation rate for school breakfast programs
Hawaiʻi's high poverty rate means ensuring more students have access to healthy meals is imperative.
More kids need school breakfast
Fewer than 4 in 10 low-income students who eat school lunch are also eating school breakfast in our state.
Study: few Hawaiʻi students have access to after-school meals
A new report by the Food Research & Action Center shows Hawaiʻi near the bottom in terms of serving an after-school supper to low-income students.
Hawaiʻi schools celebrate farm to school week
From Oct. 2 to 5, students at Kohala public schools will enjoy delicious, fresh cooked meals that will feature local ingredients such as Big Island ground beef, apple bananas, sweet potatoes and pineapple.
The Conversation: Increased enrollment in summer school lunch programs
It is an undeniable fact of being human: hunger never takes a holiday. For kids in summer school, being hungry doesn’t take a vacation either.
Number of Hawaiʻi students eating free summer meals increases
More students in Hawaiʻi took advantage of free summer meals last year, according to a national report released this week.