Tommy “Kahikina” Ching is on the road again for his Feed-A Thon benefiting The Food Basket.
The annual event took a pause during the pandemic and returns this year at three KTA Super Stores locations, instead of the six islandwide locations previously partaking in the food drive, with a goal to raise $50,000, or 1 million pounds of food to supplement The Food Basket’s mission
The drive, now in its 22nd year, continues today and Thursday at KTA Puainako and Friday at KTA Keauhou in hopes of stocking Hawaii Island’s only food bank with enough food to feed the island’s most vulnerable citizens.
The drive started Monday at the Kailua-Kona KTA with $3,600 in donations from individuals and corporate sponsors.
A silent auction for items including golf outings, fishing trips, fitness and snorkel tours will also make the island wide tour to raise money.
“This makes such a big difference with the high cost of food, rent and utilities,” said Kristin Frost Albrecht, executive director of The Food Basket. “We are seeing more and more working families who can’t make ends meet.”
She said this time of year the nonprofit sees a downturn in donations, which makes the Feed-A-Thon even more relevant.
“We have been purchasing more food this year than ever before,” she said.
Another conundrum Frost Albrecht has experienced is the increase in Social Security payments for seniors.
“The increase in Social Security payments has placed them financially so they no longer qualify for EBT,” she said.
To combat that, The Food Basket has raised its income qualifications so seniors can qualify for the islandwide Kupuna Pantry, a service that provides food to low-income elderly persons.
That program, which provides 1,361 kupuna on the Big Island with non-perishable items, augmented with fresh produce to our elderly population is federally funded and applications are still open at hawaiifoodbasket.org
Again this year, an anonymous donor, known as “The Hunger Angel” has given a $20,000 donation to the Feed-A-Thon. Other Corporate sponsors include Kona Bowl, Mokulele Airlines and Wasabi Tours.
Ching challenges all Hawaii Island Businesses to match donations to make a difference for Big Island families.