KAILUA-KONA — Feeding the community a Thanksgiving feast isn’t always an easy task, but every year, the Kona Task Force on Feeding the Hungry steps up to the plate.
Volunteers from around the Big Island served free turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn and cranberry sauce to more than 250 people Wednesday at the annual Meet and Eat Thanksgiving Dinner at Kealakehe Intermediate School.
The Meet and Eat is an important tradition for everyone involved. While the hungry received a complete Thanksgiving meal, the people behind Meet and Eat received the satisfaction that comes with helping their community.
“It’s a unique gift to be able to give back to the community you were raised in, like me, or that you live in,” Kona Task Force on Feeding the Hungry coordinator Hannah Unger said. “It’s special when you can get a huge group of community organizations together to put this on.”
Unger said around 150 volunteers came together to prepare and hand out the food.
“We got over 30 turkeys cooked and donated through the three Rotary clubs on the west side,” Unger said. “The Rotary Club also jumped in and did stuffing, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church did mashed potatoes, and the Boys Scouts did desserts.”
The Meet and Eat program also runs a non-Thanksgiving themed meal every Wednesday of the year. The meals are always open to anyone, whether they are homeless, a low-income family, or are just there to enjoy the food.
Henry Lau attended the Thanksgiving dinner with his family, feasting on the Meet and Eat’s offerings. Lau said the meal is everything the holiday of Thanksgiving stands for.
“This is a time of giving back and it’s a time to give thanks,” Lau said. “Everybody’s helping out each other, which is part of Hawaiian values.”
Another important part of Wednesday’s Meet and Eat was the 15-pound bags of rice being accumulated throughout the night from donations by community members. The rice will be donated to The Food Basket.
“This is a great opportunity for different community groups to come together and put their best foot forward,” Unger said. “Through this event, we have figured out how we can put on a free meal like this for the community that we live in.”
Unger has been the Kona Task Force on Feeding the Hungry coordinator since January, after the retirement of Ardaven “Ardie” Ikeda. To her, both Thanksgiving and the Meet and Eat dinner are about more than just the food.
“Of course there’s amazing food but I think the real treat is being surrounded by your family or friends who show you what you should be grateful for,” Unger said.