A Thanksgiving tradition at Kealakehe Intermediate School will still be held, albeit in a different format than in previous years.
Volunteers from around the Big Island typically serve up free turkey and all the traditional trimmings to a couple hundred people at the annual Meet and Eat Thanksgiving Dinner in Kailua-Kona. This year, however, the 28th annual event will conform to COVID-19 guidelines with dinners being distributed via drive-through at Kealakehe Elementary School.
The Meet and Eat program expects the turnout to be large amid the ongoing pandemic that’s hit Hawaii Island’s economy hard with 13.6% of Big Islanders still out of work in September. And they’ll need help meeting that demand, said volunteer Jeannie Kutsunai.
An estimated 400 dinners featuring turkey and gravy, Kukio-made stuffing, cranberry sauce, and some hot vegetable will likely be served up during the Nov. 24 event. Though the program has been fortunate to receive monetary contributions and donations of turkeys and other items from friends and family in the past, even more will be needed this year.
“We’re trying to put the word out for donations, especially of the reward certificates,” said Kutsunai, noting Foodland/Sack’n’Save Maika’i Reward Certificates have helped Meet and Eat reach its goal before.
The program is also hoping to find an organization, restaurant or hotel to assist them in storing frozen turkeys, thawing the birds close to cooking, and even helping to cook the poultry up for hungry community members.
“We can provide a team of carvers, so we can build our meal boxes,” said Kutsunai.
Via its weekly Wednesday meals and the Thanksgiving Dinner, Meet and Eat has served up more than 280,000 meals since its founding in 1992 by the Kona Task Force on Feeding the Hungry. Though the way of feeding the community whilst providing fellowship has had to change amid the pandemic, the program has not let up in ensuring bellies are full.
“When the pandemic started and schools were closed right after spring break in March, Meet and Eat and their Rotary Club partners decided to provide a Saturday Grab ‘n’ Go lunch, along with a grocery bag of canned goods, baked goods and whatever was donated by local grocery stores and The Food Basket,” said Kutsunai. Volunteers from Rotary Club of Kona, Rotary Club Kona Sunrise, Kona Lions, Kiwanis, Kai‘Opua Canoe Club and the Kona Elks Club rotate to prepare and distribute the weekly meals.
The effort started at Kahakai Elementary School and expanded to Kealakehe Intermediate with the help with more Rotary members and Kona Lions. When school meal service resumed in August, Meet and Eat changed its target meal back to dinner, partnering with the Boys and Girls Club to provide warm, pre-made meals, and more.
“From 6 to 6:30 p.m., we provide almost 300 meals and 60 to 70 grocery bags to our community who can drive up or walk up for a contactless meal,” she said. “They don’t have to have a student, just the need for a meal.”
Program coordinator Scott Unger of Rotary Club of Kona said the organization’s entire budget this year has gone to the program. Fresh produce has been provided through a $15,000 CARES grant from Hawaii County and supplied by Cal-Kona. Those funds need to be used by next month, so the organization is looking to the community for donations to sustain the program.
“Cal-Kona produce was unreal. (They) gave us a bunch of fruit and vegetables throughout the whole pandemic so we are trying to pay them back by ordering our bags from them,” said Unger. The Rotary Club of Kona has been running the program since 2018 when Ardie Ikeda retired after 26 years at the helm, although he is still an active volunteer.
Anyone able to donate money, turkeys or certificates to purchase turkeys, or facilitating with storage, preparation and/or cooking, should contact Kutsunai by emailing kutsj1@gmail.com
To make a tax deductible donation for the Meet and Eat program, visit rotaryclubofkona.com and click the “donate” tab.
