Hilo Vet Center now open Saturdays
Hilo Vet Center is now open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.
A monthly benefits briefing is held on the first Thursday of each month. The center also offers group activities such as shoreline fishing, kanakapila, art therapy, stand-up paddle boarding, golf and yoga, tai chi, and book reading.
Interested veterans and their family members should contact Hilo Vet Center at 969-3833 for more information.
Proceeds from dog cookies to benefit Humane Society
Thea Brown, along with husband Kurt, have been making fresh cookies daily at their refurbished Keauhou Store for four years. Since June 2011 The classic upcountry general store has sold more than 65,000 cookies to residents and visitors touring Mamalahoa Highway near the Honalo junction.
Last week, Brown introduced Sake’s Favorite Peanut Butter Dog Treats. Named for their 5-year-old black and white Boston terrier, the homemade cookies come in packages of 10 and sell for $5.
The majority of sales’ proceeds will go to the Hawaii Island Humane Society’s new animal community center, which is being built just down the road from Keauhou Store. Details of the new home for the Big Isle Humane Society are available at hihs.or
The all-natural treats’ ingredients include rice flour, rolled oats, peanut butter, bacon, carrots, honey and water. They are on sale from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
For more information on the Keauhou Store, visit keauhoustore.com or call 322-5203
Nonprofit works to increase local food consumption
The Same Canoe Local Food Challenge is a new initiative aimed at encouraging more local food buying choices and purchases islandwide. The Local Food Challenge encourages people to double their local food purchases at farmers markets, grocers, restaurants and cafes.
Participants may enroll by taking the Local Food Survey at oneisland.org. Through the Food Challenge, island families will get to know their farmers, enjoy fresh and nutritious foods and can take food classes and farm tours. Enrollment also provides a free ticket for drawings of discount coupons redeemable at local food supporting merchants.
To help reach the Double It! goal, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently awarded One Island, an island nonprofit, funding for a project that helps connect low-income families and seniors with more fresh and local food and local farms in North and West Hawaii. One Island’s Same Canoe project is enrolling 600 SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program) households that can qualify for local food matching coupons. For each $30 the household turns in that shows EBT purchases of fresh produce from any grocer, pre-enrolled households can receive $60 to $120 in matching local food coupons that will be redeemable at approved vendors. The pilot project will generate more than $108,000 in direct produce sales and, of that, $75,000 is estimated to be from locally grown produce sales.
Vendors who will be accepting the Same Canoe local food coupons starting in July are at the South Kona Green Market on Sundays in Captain Cook, Kona Sunset Market at Kmart in Kailua-Kona on Wednesdays and the Hawi Farmers Market on Saturdays. The coupon project launches on July 1 and concludes Feb. 15.
Same Canoe will offer information and sign-ups at booths at the farmers markets starting in July. Learn more at oneisland.org/samecanoe or email hawaii@oneisland.org.
Pacific Century Fellows sought
The Fund for the Pacific Century, a charitable, nonprofit organization, is accepting applications for its 15th class of Pacific Century Fellows. The program, modeled after the White House Fellows Program, is designed to recognize and encourage Hawaii’s future leaders.
The nine-month program will include approximately 30 of Hawaii’s most promising individuals from all segments of the community who are in their mid-20s to early 40s. The fellows will be selected by an 18-member committee based on their demonstrated ability to set and achieve goals and on having exhibited leadership qualities in their current professional, volunteer and civic activities.
Individual companies may sponsor candidates for the program. The cost is $3,500 to cover expenses. Employers are encouraged to pay employee program costs, but tuition assistance is available. Applications and information are available at pacificcenturyfellows.com. The deadline for submission of applications is July 15. The opening retreat kicking off the 2015-16 program year, is in September, at the Turtle Bay Resort.