EYE.
Kelly: EVERY MONTH THE
HAWAI'I FOOD BANK FEEDS AN
AVERAGE OF 20,000 PEOPLE.
THEY NEED YOUR HELP MORE THAN
EVER TO KEEP HAWAI'I'S FAMILIES
FROM GOING HUNGRY.
A GOOD FRIEND OF THE MORNING
SHOW, RON MIZUTANI, PRESIDENT
JOINS US BY PHONE.
GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING TO EVERYBODY ON
TAKE TWO.
Kristine: TELL US THE
DETAILS, WHAT IS THE IMPACT THAT
THIS VIRUS HAS HAD ON THE
HAWAI'I FOOD BANK.
Caller: IT'S BEEN
SIGNIFICANT.
AND IT'S MULTIPLE WAYS.
MULTIPLE WAYS.
MAINLY THE NEEDS ARE GROWING.
AS MORE PEOPLE GET FURLOUGHED.
MORE PEOPLE LOSE THEIR
EMPLOYMENT OR GET LAID OFF.
THE FACE OF HUNGRY WILL CHANGE.
WE ALREADY HAVE SEEN THIS
UNPRECEDENTED EVENT CHALLENGING
AND PROVIDING FOOD FOR THOSE
AFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC.
AND THAT'S ON TOP OF THE ONE IN
EIGHT WE ALREADY SERVE WHO ARE
STRUGGLING WITH FOOD INSECURITY.
WHEN IT COMES DO DONATIONS,
WE'RE SEEING SLOW DONATIONS.
AND PEOPLE ARE TAKING CARE OF
THEIR FAMILIES, AND WE
UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND NO ONE CAN GO OUT NOW.
TO COME INTO THE WAREHOUSE AND
DONATE FOOD.
AND OUR RETAILERS ARE TAPPED
OUT.
INVENTORY IS SO LOW.
YOU GO TO THE MARKET U AND --
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT FOR
YOURSELF.
THAT'S A REFLECTION ON DIFFERENT
THINGS WE DID PRIOR TO THE
INTENSIFYING OF THE VIRUS IMPACT
HERE IN HAWAI'I.
THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE STILL
GETTING THINGS THAT WE NEED IN
HERE VIA PURCHASING.
WE'RE PURCHASING MORE FOOD THAN
EVER BEFORE.
BECAUSE INVENTORY IS SO LOW,
WE'RE HAVING TO PURCHASE FOOD
FROM THE MAINLAND.
EVEN DISTRIBUTORS THERE ARE
SEEING UNPRECEDENTED VOLUME
HEADING OUT THE DOOR.
MANY ARE AS FAR AS LETTING US
PURCHASE THINGS, THEY'RE LISTS,
INVENTORY LISTS ARE DISAPPEARING
OVERNIGHT.
BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
PACIFIC, JOURNEY FOR FOOD TO GET
HERE VIA SHIPPING IS NOT AN
OPTION.
WE DO HAVE FOOD COMING ON THE
OCEAN.
WE'VE GF -- GOING TO HAVE TO CARGO
FOOD IN TO KEEP UP WITH THE
DEMAND.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO SERVE AND BE
READY FOR THOSE WHO NEED OUR
SERVICES.
Kelly: AND THANK YOU FOR
ALL THAT YOU DO FOR THOSE IN
NEED.
AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THAT.
YOU MENTIONED THE FACES OF
HUNDRED -- HUNGER.
Caller: WE SAW THIS DURING
THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN.
COAST GUARD WORKERS AND THEIR
FAMILIES REACHED OUT FOR THE
FIRST TIME IN THEIR LIVES.
WE'RE SEEING THAT ALREADY.
HELPING OUR UNION BROTHERS AND
SISTERS WEEKLY NOW.
FRIENDS SAID, HOW CAN WE HELP?
WE'RE SEEING THAT WITH OUR
D.O.E. AND SCHOOLS AND
SUPPORTING THAT EFFORT.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE FACE OF
HUNGER, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT
WE'VE BEEN SHARING WITH
COMMUNITY FOR A LONG TIME.
HUNGER IS NOT A HOMELESS ISSUE.
HUNGER IMPACTS AND AFFECTS SO
MANY WORKING FAMILIES.
PEOPLE WHO HAVE JOBS.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS, OUR
VES VESES
VETERANS AND KUPUNA.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO SEE DIFFERENT
FACES THAT NEVER THOUGHT THEY'D
BE HUNGER.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A
FURTHER INCREASE.
AGAIN, I WANT TO MAINTAIN OUR
SUPPLY WITH THE DEMAND, BUT IT'S
QUITE A CHALLENGE NOW WITH THE
AMOUNT OF FOOD GOING OUT THE
DOOR.
Kelly: THESE ARE OUR
NEIGHBORS, OUR FRIENDS AND
FAMILIES.
RON, FOR THOSE WHO ARE WANTING
TO HELP, YOU SAID WE CAN'T
DELIVER ANY CANNED GOOD
DIRECTLY.
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU GUYS?
Caller: NUMBER ONE, YOU CAN
PROVIDE A MONETARY DONATION.
AT THIS POINT, LOCAL STYLE, WE
HAVE A HARD TIME ASKING.
WE HAVE A VERY HARD TIME RAISING
OUR HANDS.
WE HAVE A HARDTIME ASKING FOR
HELP.
AT THIS TIME WE'RE NOT SHY.
WE NEED HELP.
MONETARY DONATIONS.
OUR SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS AND
LOYAL COMMUNITY HAS BEEN
PHENOMENAL.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TO PURCHASE
FOOD.
WE HAVE TO PURCHASE PRODUCE.
WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO WORK
WITH OUR FARMERS TO PURCHASE
PRODUCTS SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO
FARM.
SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO SUSTAIN
OUR OWN ECONOMY.
THAT TAKE A LOT OF MONEY, AND
THAT TAKE A LOT OF COORDINATION.
SOMETHING THAT WE BUDGETED FOR,
IF YOU WILL.
SO MONETARY DONATIONS GO A VERY
LONG WAY.
WE'RE VERY CAREFUL WHO WE HAVE
IN OUR WAREHOUSE WHEN IT COMES
TO SOCIAL DISTANCING.
WE STAGGER OUR VISITS FROM THE
AGENCIES THAT COME AND GATHER
FOOD FROM US.
AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THEM
BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM, WE CAN NOT
DISTRIBUTE THE FOOD.
AND OUR VOLUNTEERS, WE'RE ASKING
FOR TEN TO LESS TO CONTINUE TO
COME.
WE'VE HAD A FEW CANCELLATIONS
BUT NOT TOO MANY.
IF YOU FEEL THE NEED TO SERVE
THIS COMMUNITY AND YOU CAN'T DO
IT WITH MONETARY DONATIONS,
THERE TO HAWAI'I FOOD BANK.ORG.
WE'LL GET YOU TRAINED AND YOU
HELP.
Kelly: THANK YOU, RON.
BANK, DO SO.
RON, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU
DO AND ALL THAT EVERYONE AT THE
HAWAI'I FOOD BANK DOES FOR THIS
COMMUNITY.
CALLER: WE APPRECIATE IT.
I ASK EVERYBODY TO TAKE CARE OF
EACH OTHER.
LOVE EACH OTHER.
WE'LL GET THROUGH THIS.
AND WE'LL BE STRONGER.
WE NEED TO BREATHE AND BE
APPRECIATIVE.
ALOHA SPIRIT IS VERY MUCH ALIVE
IN HAWAI'I.
Kelly: SO TRUE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
SO GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU.
Caller: NICE TO HEAR YOU
TOO.