INSIDE the RESCUE Rescuing Food to Feed Hawaii’S Hungry January 2017 | Volume 4, Issue 1

INSIDE THE RESCUE Rescuing Food to Feed Hawaii’s Hungry January 2017 | Volume 4, Issue 1

BOARD OF DIRECTORS week and on call. Drivers load up Lisa Tomihama, Chair Food Donor to 80 pounds of healthy meals and snacks left from the night before, Mark E. Davis, Secretary Corner including a variety of entrees, rice, Joanna Kawamoto, Treasurer dessert and fruit. Kevin Oda Back in April, Aloha Harvest’s Aulani Kekuna “Just Eat It HI — A Film Screening The film screening and “challenge” & Chef Challenge” served as an Bronson Chang that inspired the partnership pro- introduction for the organization vided two very different looks at Summer Kaiawe whose mission is to rescue food to the serious problem of hunger and Sharon Spear feed Hawai`i’s hungry and Straub some of its solutions. Debra Van Zile Medical Center. “Just Eat It. A Food Waste Story”

Robert Harrison, Emeritus Chair is a 74-minute Canadian docu- The hookup has worked enor- mentary about food waste and res- mously well for both. cue. Creators found that half the STAFF food in North America is thrown Ku´ulei Williams Straub General Manager Timothy away, yet one in 10 people are E. Barksdale realized how much “food insecure.” The documentary Mele Pepa Latu sense it would make to have his Brianna Murray looked at shoppers’ “obsession Hawaii Pacific Health facility share with expiration dates, perfect pro- Greg Nacapoy with Aloha Harvest regularly. By duce and portion sizes.” Hiram Johnson June, Straub was making dona- tions. George Stevens Before the screening, Hawaii chefs

Michael Lelafu Mark Noguchi, Lee Anne Wong, The refrigerated trucks come to Ronnie Nasuti, Lowell Godin and Sini Pepa Straub early in the morning twice a Misi Toilolo were (see more pg 6)

Kōkua Today

Donate by Check Aloha Harvest 3599 Waialae Ave #23 Honolulu, HI 96816

Donate by Credit Card Call (808) 537-6945 or visit www.alohaharvest.org

Donate Food Call (808) 537-6945 or email [email protected]

Donate Time Call (808) 537-6945 or email [email protected]

Straub Medical Center’s Food Service Staff. Photo by Straub Medical. FOLLOW US: @alohaharvest

Message from the E.D. Is it really January 2017?

Now that 2016 is in the past it seems like it flew by in a blur. Aloha Harvest had another busy year with many exciting memories to reflect upon!

On behalf of the board and staff of Aloha Harvest, I would like to say a big MAHALO to our partners who helped to make 2016 successful. To our many food donors, hardworking agencies, financial contributors, and volunteers . . . we could not have done this work without your partnership!

Each year, in Hawaii alone we throw out an estimated 273,000 tons of food! Unbelievable, right? Last year, Aloha Harvest rescued 2,249,095 pounds of food!!

Together,  We helped feed our community of needy, homeless individuals and families (approximately 1,400,000 meals);  Diverted good food from filling our landfill, reducing the amount of methane gas released into the air;  Recycled food, saving it from being thrown away;  Helped 182 agencies save thousands of dollars and utilize this money toward their services, and;  Partnered with an additional 57 new food donors. That’s an amazing accomplishment!

Other reflections for 2016 include:  Working with our local chefs and educating the community on food waste at our successful “Just Eat It” tasting and film screening event;  Encouraging education of middle and high school students about hunger and homelessness through our “Compassion in Arts” event;  We were selected as a charity to benefit from the “Party 4 a Purpose” event sponsored by Hawaii Profes- sionals Foundation;  Fourth annual “Fill the Truck” community support food drive;  Selected as 1 of 10 charities on O`ahu to have an Electric SMART car donated by the Hawaiian Electric Foundation. (Pictured on the left: Ku’ulei Williams, Execu- tive Director of Aloha Harvest and Lauren Lum of Mercedes Benz.)

As we look to 2017, we are excited about events such as the Empty Bowl, to be held March 31. Aloha Harvest is the charity selected to benefit from this fundraising event. Tickets are available online at emptybowlhawaii.org or call our office at 537-6945.

Have a wonderful, prosper- ous New Year!

2 Bring your canned goods on down to Safeway Kapahulu on Sat., Feb. 4 for our annual Fill the Truck Food Drive. Our team of volunteers will be there 8 am to 1 pm. Look for our truck and tent in the parking lot!

The food is free, thanks to dona- About 300 come by all three days Agency Highlight tions from organizations like Aloha (Tuesday-Thursday) and some Harvest, which drops off food once come much less often. Having to make a choice between or twice a week. The delivery feeding your family or paying the ranges from 3,000 to 10,000 Feeding Hawaii Together doesn’t rent, or between eating or buying a pounds of food, according to care how often they come, as long much needed medication, is not a Feeding Hawaii Together Assis- as everyone who needs food has choice anyone should have to tant Director Diana Lorenz. the opportunity to get it. make. “We want people,” Lorenz says, “Individuals can shop once a week “living from paycheck to paycheck, That’s the guiding principle for and take home as much food as social security check to social se- Feeding Hawaii Together, a non- they can carry,” Lorenz says. curity check, to know that we are profit that started 15 years ago as “Feeding Hawaii Together is the here for them when they need our an outreach program for Word of only place that offers this kind of help.” Life Christian Center. service in Hawaii, and perhaps even the nation.” Aloha Harvest’s contribution is of- The program’s vision is to “provide ten drinks and prepared food such our community the necessities of With people able to choose what as bentos. life for full productivity” and the they want and need, food waste is mission is simply to prevent home- cut. Clients are predominantly 55 “The prepared food is excellent for lessness. Feeding Hawaii Togeth- and older, 20 percent are house- us to have to give to the houseless er focuses on serving its clients less and the rest are working poor that come so they have food al- with compassion and developing who qualify based on USDA pov- ready prepared for them,” Lorenz individual growth. erty financial standards. says. “Since we are a grocery store style pantry, our clients do It also wants to empower people In 2015, the organization provided need a kitchen. But our houseless by offering them the dignity of more than 3.2 million pounds of clients do benefit from what we do choice. Three days a week, those food, to nearly 77,000 people. It have, which is produce and lunch- that qualify can “shop” from an ar- serves all of O`ahu and is contem- eon meats and bread, granola ray of perishable and non- plating branching out to other is- bars, crackers, cookies, on a perishable foods in refrigerators lands. weekly basis.” and on the shelves of its Kaka`ako home. It can serve up to 500 clients each Duane Makalena got Aloha Har- day, or 1,500 a week. Every week, vest involved when he was the 25 to 30 new clients show up. pantry manager (see more page 6)

3 4 EMPTY BOWL HAWAI`I 2017 TICKET ORDER FORM FOR CHECK PAYMENTS ONLY

Please complete this Order Form and submit check payment by: 1) Mail to Aloha Harvest by March 20, 2017, or 2) Hand-deliver to Aloha Harvest office up until March 30, 2017. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm., or 3) Hand-deliver to Dale Matsumoto-Oi at Hawaii Potters’ Guild on Wednesday nights (except 1/25/17 and 3/1/17) at 6:30-9:30pm, up until March 15, 2017. If you have any questions, please call Aloha Harvest at 537-6945.

General Admission Ticket _____ x $30 each = $______Entry starts at 6 PM. Ticket includes bowl, soup and bread.

General Admission PLUS Ticket _____ x $50 each = $______Entry starts at 6 PM. Ticket includes bowl, soup, bread, bento and a beverage. ____ # Meat Bento _____ # Vegetarian Bento

VIP Admission Ticket _____ x $75 each = $______Entry starts at 5 PM. Ticket includes bowl, soup, bread, bento and a beverage. ____ # Meat Bento _____ # Vegetarian Bento

Make check payable to: Aloha Harvest. Total Check Amount:______Check #:______

First & Last Name: ______Address:______Phone:______Email:______

How do you want to receive your ticket(s)?

___ Email the ticket(s) to me.

___ Mail the ticket(s) to me.

___ I want to pick up my ticket(s) from Aloha Harvest. Please call me when ready. ……. ___ I want to pick up my ticket(s) from Dale at HPG. Please call me when ready.

NOTE: If you don’t receive your tickets by March 28, 2017, call Aloha Harvest 537-6945 immediately.

How did you hear about Empty Bowl 2017? ____ Printed Ad ____ Social Media ____ Family/Friend ____ Previous Empty Bowl Attendee

Mail to: Aloha Harvest, ATTN: Mele Latu 5 3599 Waialae Avenue #23 Honolulu, HI 96816 (continued from pg. 3) at Feeding Ha- waii Together. The connection clicked immediately, for more than the obvi- ous reasons.

“This relationship we have is valuable,” Lorenz says. “We have the same mission and vision to help those in need. The drivers of the delivery trucks are a joy to see every week. We all need to network together for each of us to have a resource that is valuable to those in need.”

Aloha Harvest is available to help any 501(c)3 non-profit organization on O`ahu with a feeding program. Agen- cy applications are available online (alohaharvest.org) or by calling the office (537-6945). Clients shopping at Feeding Hawaii Together. Photo by Feeding Hawaii Together.

“The best part of our connection with Aloha Harvest is having a Other Ways to venue and partner to positively impact the local community,” Galas adds. “Our reward is to know that Give our business is being socially re- (continued from pg. 1) given a sponsible towards sustainability “mystery basket” of local rescued and ‘making a difference’ in others’ food. Each chef created a special lives.” dish to show just what is possible. Straub Medical Center is one of If you shop on Amazon this Straub saw all the possibilities, and more than 300 participating donors is a simple way of giving how Aloha Harvest could help. who have provided some 2 million back, at absolutely no cost to pounds of food to Aloha Harvest in you! The Amazon Smile “The most important part of this 2016. Pali Momi Medical Center Foundation donates 0.5% of partnership is the ability for the and Kapi`olani Medical Center are the your purchases to Aloha Food and Nutrition team at Straub also donating their excess foods to Harvest. Please select us as Medical Center to make a differ- Aloha Harvest. your charity of choice. ence in our community,” says Mar- garet Galas, who supervises Straub’s work with Aloha Harvest. “In addition, this program is in align- ment with Straub’s mission state- Donate your vehicle to ment to ‘Create a Healthier Hawai`i’ Kokua in Kind, LLC and and having a positive impact on po- choose Aloha Harvest as pulation health.” your charity of choice.

They accept most cars, Straub packages, dates and safely trucks, vans, motorcycles stores its excess food each night. It or boats. Visit also partners with EcoFeed, which www.kokuainkind.com or recycles food waste to pig farmers. call 808-834-6603.

6 FOLLOW US: @alohaharvest

Big Mahalo to our 2016 Donors Together we rescued 2.2 million pounds of food to help feed 52,000 people each month

Shiohira | Whole Foods Kahala | Yee Hop Realty Limited

7 NonProfit Org. US Postage PAID Honolulu, HI Permit No. 1474 3599 Waialae Avenue #23 Honolulu, Hawaii 96816

million pounds of food has been rescued since Aloha Harvest began in 1999! In 2016 over 2.2 million pounds of 18 food was rescued. Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Rescuing Food to Feed Hawaii’s Hungry