Elderly Meals Distribution

Launched in mid April of 2020, the Kūpuna Meals program was in direct response to the increased need for food security in our community due to the pandemic and subsequent shutdown. Recognizing the lack of adequate access for the most vulnerable in the community, the elderly, we utilized our grassroots network of community members and organizations to identify kūpuna in Waimea who were in need and desired to participate in the program. Initially, we identified senior citizens over the age of 65 and began serving weekly hot meals either via delivery or pick up from the Aloha ‘Aina Poi Company factory.

Sustainability and food security for West Kauaʻi is at the core of our mission, thus the networks we have established allowed us to quickly source food from local producers and our strong connection with Aloha Aina Poi Co. allowed us to quickly develop a meal preparation and distribution plan and execute it. Our outreach to ensure we were able to identify those most in need was also supported by existing relationships with service providers who assisted in helping us reach those most vulnerable kūpuna in our community. Our Kūpuna Meals program contributes to community based food systems by increasing and improving access to locally grown nutritious and food for the most vulnerable in our community, our kūpuna.

Our Kūpuna Meals are distributed at no charge to recipients. West Kauaʻi residents are more limited in terms of access to healthy and affordable food outlets than other parts of the island, so we understand that the stability of our program plays a vital role for our community’s food security.