Community partnership serves free meals to keiki during school closure

HONOLULU, Hawaiʻi — A partnership of community nonprofit and governmental organizations has started serving free lunch to children and youth at seven sites on Oʻahu during the current public school closure.

Five will be open on Prince Kuhio Day, when DOE-sponsored food sites will not be open. The grab-and-go meals are available to all keiki up to age 18 at the following sites:

KALIHI VALLEY INSTRUCTIONAL BIKE EXCHANGE (K-VIBE)
March 23–27, 11:30 AM–12:30 PM
1638 Kamehameha IV Rd., Honolulu, HI 96819

KIPAPA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
March 23–27, 11:30 AM–12:30 PM
95-076 Kīpapa Dr., Mililani, HI 96789

KUHIO PARK TERRACE RESOURCE CENTER
March 23–25 & March 27, Noon–1 PM
1485 Linapuni St., Honolulu, HI 96819

NUʻUANA YMCA
March 23–27, 11:30 AM–12:30 PM
1441 Pali Hwy., Honolulu, HI 96813

Palama Settlement
March 30–April 3, 11:30 AM–12:30 PM
810 N. Vineyard Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96817

PALOLO VALLEY HOMES
March 23–27, 11:30 AM–12:30 PM
2170 Ahe St., Honolulu, HI 96816

PŪʻŌHALA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
March 23–27, 11:30 AM–12:30 PM
45-233 Kulaʻuli St., Kāneʻohe, HI 96744

On a typical school day, about 61,000 economically disadvantaged Hawaiʻi students benefit from free or reduced-price school meals. 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 aren’t getting free or reduced-price meals at school, community partners work together to provide meals to children and youth in low-income areas via the federal Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).

During this unplanned school closure, three SFSP sponsors—YMCA Honolulu, Parents and Children Together, and Palama Settlement—are opening food sites in low-income areas on Oʻahu for keiki. They are partnering with Aloha Harvest, Kapiʻolani Community College, Hawaiʻi Appleseed, and Hawaiʻi Child Nutrition Programs.

These SFSP sites provide added feeding capacity on Oʻahu to complement the feeding sites that the Department of Education (DOE) is operating at 38 schools, out of 256 public schools across the state, during the school closure.

The dates of service at these SFSP sites may be extended, depending upon DOE announcements of further school closures and funding availability.

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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.