Kona Pacific Public Charter School has received a $41,785 grant from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service for a Farm to School planning project, one of 74 projects in 39 states to receive the support.
The Kealakekua school runs an array of programs that serve the Kona community in many areas of agriculture and nutrition. Currently, Kona Pacific operates a community food service that provides healthy meals to more than 600 of the community’s most vulnerable residents. In addition, the school has been a leader in school nutrition programs, launching the state’s first Universal Breakfast in the Classroom program, as well as the only fresh fruit and vegetable program in the state that utilizes 100 locally sourced produce, school officials said.
In the summer of 2015, the school introduced Hawaii’s first mobile summer food service program, providing more than 4,000 lunches to hungry children throughout West Hawaii in June and July. Expansion of that program is planned in 2016.