Kapi‘olani CC helps to feed hungry keiki
VIDEO NEWS RELEASE
Kapiʻolani Community College
Kapi‘olani CC culinary students Geoffrey Yanit (right) and Anju Tsukahara.
Kapi‘olani CC student Steven Zane, an apprentice with the American Culinary Federation
Volunteers box the food prepared by Kapi‘olani CC at Pālolo Valley Homes
Meal participants receive the food prepared by Kapi‘olani CC.
LINK TO VIDEO AND SOUND (details below): https://bit.ly/354jf2x
WHAT: Kapi‘olani Community College’s culinary arts program is producing 1,200 to-go meals a day to feed hungry low-income children.
WHY: Hawai‘i Department of Education data for the current school year shows almost 85,000 students throughout the state qualify for free and reduced-price lunches.
HOW: Since 2015, Kapi‘olani C C has been helping to feed hungry children at various O‘ahu sites as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program, which ensures children who qualify for free or reduced priced lunches have access to nutritious meals and snacks when school is not in session.
When schools shut down in Hawai‘i in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March, Kapi‘olani CC sprang into action and pivoted to a spring feeding program, with the assistance of existing and new partners and generous donors.
WHEN: Beginning March 16, Kapi‘olani CC prepared more than 17,000 meals over the span of four weeks.
During the week of April 12, the Kapi‘olani CC cafeteria cooked about 1,200 meals a day Monday through Friday. Local non-profit organizations are serving as meal site partners, who handle pick-up and distribution of to-go meals at eight sites throughout Oʻahu.
WHO: Kapi‘olani CC cafeteria staff (getting no. of staff from Daniel)
OTHER FACTS:
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In addition to the usual rigorous food sanitation and safety measures that the Kapi‘olani CC culinary arts program follows, COVID-19 protocols are also being practiced.
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The Kapi‘olani CC cafeteria staff are also working to scale up to maximum capacity of about 1,500 meals a day.
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The community feeding effort has received support from Walmart Foundation, Harold K. L. Castle Foundation, the Ulupono Fund at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, the Healy Foundation, Kaiser Permanente and various individual donors.
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The UH Foundation has also set up a web page for others to support the program.
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Note: Any requests for assistance from UH campuses in response to the emergency situation should be directed to Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency via the Web EOC portal.
VIDEO: (TRT: 2:38)
BROLL: (1:58)
1 shot menu for the day
8 shots of food preparation at Kapi‘olani CC
5 shots of food being put into hot boxes for delivery to distribution sites
2 stills of volunteers boxing meals at Pālolo Valley Homes
2 stills of meal participants receiving food at Pālolo Valley Homes
SOUND:
Daniel Leung, Kapi‘olani CC culinary arts program coordinator (:07)
“We are planning to go as long as the state continues shut down and some of these children will not get their free lunch.”
Leung (:14)
“What we feel is that at least we can provide at least one nutritious meal, provided by a kitchen that would meet all the USDA guidelines, to make sure that they have one nutritious meal a day.”
John Mizokawa, Kapi‘olani CC culinary arts operations manager (:10)
“So, if you think about producing 1,200 meals everyday, and getting those out to children, I think weʻre doing a good thing for the community.”
Photos:
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Kapi‘olani CC culinary students Geoffrey Yanit (right) and Anju Tsukahara.
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Kapi‘olani CC student Steven Zane, an apprentice with the American Culinary Federation
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Volunteers box the food prepared by Kapi‘olani CC at Pālolo Valley Homes
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Meal participants receive the food prepared by Kapi‘olani CC.