NORTH HAWAII — Many envision Thanksgiving as a special day with family and friends, complete with a large roasted turkey, bowls of stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce and a variety of pies and favorite desserts. But some North Hawaii residents choose to spend the day helping to feed others.
Big Island Giving Tree (BIGT) and Honokaa High School (HHS) are two organizations that have been serving a hot Thanksgiving meal free to the public over the past 10 years. The effort began in Honokaa in 2006 and BIGT followed suit last year. On Nov. 23 and 24, both groups aim to reach more people than ever.
Rhonda Bell, BIGT’s founder, decided one way would be to provide transportation for those without cars.
“Several times this year I was in direct contact with the mayor’s office, discussing issues regarding our kupuna and homeless communities,” she said. “During our outreaches, we have learned that a lot of our elderly do not have transportation to get even get to their doctor appointments, the grocery store and pharmacy. At our last Waimea Community Association meeting I simply asked Tiffany Kai, The County of Hawaii Mass Transit’s administrator, if it would be at all possible to get transportation for kupuna in Waimea and Kohala to our event.”
And she said yes.
Last year, 200 people attended the Waimea meal and so far this year 30 additional senior residents are confirmed to attend with the new transportation service.
“I sent out a sign-up sheet to four elderly complexes,” Bell said. “We wanted to bring our kupuna out of their homes where they would normally be alone on Thanksgiving so they could enjoy the sound of live music and children’s laughter while they eat a hot meal.”
She hopes to feed 500 people on Thanksgiving Day in a joint effort between BIGT, C&R All Around Services and Chef Jayson Kanekoa from Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort and Spa. This year, the meal will be served in the Waimea School cafeteria — a more central location.
“It takes a lot of hours of organizing and planning and re-organizing sometimes,” Bell said. “Last year Creighton Sanchez, owner operator of C&R All Around Services and grandson of former Councilman Kalani Schutte, asked if I would partner with him and his family to organize a community Thanksgiving meal. He comes from a family of very generous people who have the same heart as I do and they just want to bless others. He wants to make this a yearly tradition to follow in the footsteps of his late grandfather. With the helping hands of our families and friends, we make it happen.”
BIGT is now accepting Maikai Rewards for turkeys and monetary donations for other supplies needed. They can be left in a drop box at Aloha Kohala Realty in Waimea or mailed to BIGT P.O. Box 2786 Kamuela, HI 96743.
The free community Thanksgiving meal is open to anyone.
“We don’t want people to think it’s just for the homeless and elderly; it’s for everyone,” Bell said. “We always need volunteers too, especially to clean up after the event.”
One of her mentors, Angella Brandt, has led the Honokaa High School Thanksgiving effort since its inception, which served as a model for Bell to start the community meal in Waimea.
“When I attended Honokaa High School, it was a daily routine for me to have my lunch in Mrs. Brandt’s classroom. She was and still is a positive role model, always encouraging us to be better than we were yesterday. She always reached out to the community,” Bell said. “I think that it’s so amazing that she organizes such a successful Thanksgiving dinner in Honokaa at the school cafeteria every year.”
The HHS dinner will be hosted by new students in Honokaa High School’s leadership training program the day before Thanksgiving from 5-7:30 p.m.
“Students really enjoy being a part of the Thanksgiving portion of the program,” Brandt said. “Some of their comments are, ‘It feels good to be a part of such a positive program,’ ‘It helps us to learn the true meaning of service,’ and ‘It feels so good to meet the needs of others.’”
The work begins in early October when the teens help solicit donations and begin planning the event. All food supplies are purchased with money collected.
“It costs about $3,500 to put the dinner on and we are still quite a ways from our goal,” Brandt said. “We are planning to feed 900 people, about the same as the last two years. With money raised, we purchase the turkeys and Mauna Lani Bay Hotel roasts them. They have been a generous partner since the program began 10 years ago.
Another community partner is Paniolo Country Inn in Waimea who has helped for the past seven years. The rest of the food is prepared by other organizations or businesses.
“We are most grateful for the donations,” Brandt said. “We have received lettuce from a farm in Waimea and could still use more.”
Over the past nine years, Honokaa High School has served more than 5,200 meals.