As for her own inspiration, Rina credits her family for teaching her the importance of giving back to her community early on. It makes her smile as she now gets to share this opportunity with other young people.
“Itʻs opened my eyes to so many different opportunities, especially the kids who come in. They help out, too, even though they’re half distracted and have all this energy,” she explains as she watches the middle school class that she often volunteers alongside. “But it’s good to see them giving back – because everything starts at an early age. And if I didn’t have that instilled in me when I was younger, I probably wouldn’t be this way today.”
As a child, Rina’s mother told her to never skip a meal and to make sure she always took care of herself. It’s a lesson she’s never forgotten, and it’s a lesson she now extends towards others, too. “That has always stuck with me,” Rina reflects. “If I’m full, why not make sure someone else is, too?”
Hawaiʻi Foodbank volunteers worked 6,822 shifts in 2022 for a total of 23,892 hours of service. To join Rina and our other dedicated volunteers in helping nourish our ʻohana, visit our
volunteer page or email
volunteer@hawaiifoodbank.org.