Hawaii Island’s Food Bank serves one in every three Hawaii Island residents through its partner agencies, providing nutritious and high quality food to Big Island families, children and seniors who might otherwise go hungry. And while many residents generously reach into their cupboards to donate food, it’s the monetary donations that allow The Food Basket to continue collecting, storing and distributing food all over the Big Island.
So, when Randy Kurohara, owner of Aloha Grown, Creative Arts Hawaii and Parker Ranch Store, heard that The Food Basket needed additional funding to sustain their critical programs, he decided to utilize their in-house designing, printing and retail outlets to create a limited edition Aloha Grown “Malama” T-shirt with 100 percent of all monies collected being donated to The Food Basket on Hawaii Island.
“The Food Basket has done so much to support the most vulnerable in our community — our kupuna and keiki…now it’s our turn. In just a few short weeks, we already reached 20 percent of our goal. Please purchase your Malama tee and help us raise $20,000 for The Food Basket!” said Kurohara.
The shirts are $20 each. Every “Malama” T-shirt sold will allow The Food Basket to help feed seven children breakfast for a week, one senior lunch for over a month, or an entire family dinner for a week.
The “Malama” T-shirt was designed with green fern leaves to represent the earth, while blue waves represent water — both of which are crucial and necessary food sources. “Malama” was selected as the shirt theme because malama means “to care for, preserve, protect,” and we must malama our island resources in order to provide food for our communities.
Aloha Grown “Malama” T-Shirts are $20 each and available for purchase in-store at Aloha Grown (224 Kamehameha Avenue in Hilo), Creative Arts Hawaii (500 Kalanianaole Avenue in Hilo), Parker Ranch Store (Parker Ranch Center in Waimea), and The Food Basket (40 Holomua St. in Hilo). T-shirts can also be purchased online at www.hawaiifoodbasket.org/donate/.
Info: www.parkerranchstore.com/malama.