Community partnership expands to 11 sites serving free meals to 1,700 keiki on Oʻahu
Suppers being served in Kalihi and new sites in ʻAiea and Honolulu.
HONOLULU, Hawaiʻi — A partnership of nonprofit and governmental organizations is expanding a program that is serving free healthy meals, prepared according to United States Department of Agriculture standards, to 11 Oʻahu sites reaching about 1,700 children and youth per day.
Since Hawaiʻi public schools were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this partnership has been increasing its capacity to provide free meals to keiki, as a complement the meal distribution sites that the state Department of Education is operating at about 70 public schools, out of 256 across the state.
The newest sites serving lunch are at Kūhiō Elementary School in Honolulu and Puʻuwai Momi in ʻAiea. Pālama Settlement in Kalihi will continue to be the only site serving suppers.
On a typical school day, nearly 65,000 economically disadvantaged Hawaiʻi students benefit from free or reduced-price school breakfast and lunch. For many, these are the only nutritious meals that they eat regularly. For their families, these meals help relieve financial stress by reducing their food budgets.
During the summer, when students are not able to eat free or reduced-price meals at school, community partners work together to provide food to children and youth in low-income areas via the federal Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
Four SFSP sponsors—YMCA of Honolulu, Parents And Children Together, Pālama Settlement and Windward Nazarene Academy—have stepped up to provide free meals for keiki in low-income areas on Oʻahu during these unplanned school closures.
The sponsors are partnering with Aloha Harvest, Kapiʻolani Community College, Lanakila Pacific, Hawaiʻi Appleseed and Hawaiʻi Child Nutrition Programs to get the meals prepared and delivered.
The following 11 sites provide free healthy grab-and-go meals, Monday through Friday, to keiki up to age 18:
Through June 30
11:30 AM–12:30 PM
Hālawa View Apartments
99-009 Kalaloa Street
ʻAiea, HI 96701
Inspire Church - Mililani
95-061 Waimakua Drive
Mililani, HI 96789
Kalihi Valley Instructional Bike Exchange
1638 Kamehameha IV Road
Honolulu, HI 96819
Kūhiō Elementary School
2759 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96826
Melemanu Recreation Center
98-2031 Waikalani Place
Mililani, HI 96789
Nuʻuanu Ymca
1441 Pali Highway
Honolulu, HI 96813
Pūʻōhala Elementary School
45-233 Kulauli Street
Kāneʻohe, HI 96744
Puʻuwai Momi
99-132 Kohomua Street
ʻAiea, Hi 96701
Until the end of May
3:30–4:30 PM
Pālama Settlement
810 North Vineyard Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96817
Until the end of May
Noon–12:30 PM
Parents And Children Together at Kuhio Park Terrace Resource Center
1485 Linapuni Street
Honolulu, HI 96819
Through the summer
11:30 AM–12:30 PM
Windward Nazarene Academy
45-232 Puaae Road
Kāneʻohe, HI 96744
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Hawaiʻi Appleseed is working to build a more socially just Hawaiʻi, where everyone has genuine opportunities to achieve economic security and fulfill their potential. We change systems that perpetuate inequality and injustice through policy development, coalition building and advocacy.
