HONOLULU — Outside Honolulu Hale on Tuesday, city and state employees celebrated the result of their 2024 combined food drives with a performance by the Royal Hawaiian Band as they loaded up thousands of pounds of food into a Hawaii Foodbank truck and a dozen other city and state vehicles.
Their unified effort culminated in a convoy filled with food donations to Hawaii Foodbank to benefit those in need. Satellite city halls around the island also accepted public donations.
“Mahalo to our city team, our city council, the state, and the entire community, who really got behind this effort and turned it into something meaningful,” said Mayor Rick Blangiardi in a news release. “The thing about Hawaii is that people just give and give from the goodness of their hearts. Sometimes they give when they don’t really have anything to give. I am both humbled and encouraged by that generosity and spirit, the selfless desire to take action because other people are hurting; there is simply nothing more powerful than that.”
Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke stated, “For 25 years, state employees have helped their communities by working with the Hawaii Foodbank, which provides essential support to our most vulnerable neighbors. The state is proud to partner with the City and County of Honolulu to assist the Hawaii Foodbank and we look forward to next year’s collaboration to raise more awareness, funds and meals.”
Over the next few days, the donations will be collected, weighed and processed and ultimately distributed to the community.
Vehicles from multiple city and state departments including the Honolulu Police Department, Department of Education, Honolulu Fire Department, University of Hawaii, Honolulu Emergency Services Department, Department of Public Safety, Department of Transportation Services and others took park in the convoy.
“We are so grateful for the continued support of the State of Hawaii Employees’ and the City and County of Honolulu Employees’ Food Drives – both of which are among Hawaii Foodbank’s first and longest standing coalitions. Over the last 25 years, their combined efforts have helped raise food and funds for more than 11.6 million meals,” said Amy Miller, president and CEO of Hawaii Foodbank.
“This year’s support not only adds to that amazing total, but it also comes at an important time. Nearly 160,000 people have been turning to Hawaii Foodbank for help each month, and we are working hard to provide them with consistent access to safe and healthy food. It is through the support of our community and countless generous partners like the State of Hawaii and the City and County of Honolulu that we are able to continue doing the work we do,” said Miller.
This is the city’s first food drive since the COVID-19 pandemic. The city and state teamed up to encourage their employees and the public to participate in this year’s food drives.