Our Story
About Hawaiʻi Foodbank
Our mission is to nourish our ʻohana.
Mission Statement: Hawaiʻi Foodbank nourishes our ʻohana today and works to end hunger tomorrow.
How We Nourish Our ʻOhana
Where Our Food Comes From
Hawaiʻi Foodbank operates out of two locations: our 23,668 square-foot warehouse on Oʻahu and our 4,750 square-foot warehouse on Kauaʻi. Both warehouses are AIB inspected and certified for food safety. In our warehouses — we receive, inspect, sort, store, and distribute a variety of food.
We receive food from food manufacturers and growers, food purchases, food retailers and wholesalers, Feeding America, individual and corporate food drives, and federal food commodities.
Preparing Food for Distribution
Volunteers and staff at our warehouses help prepare food for distribution. They inspect dry food and produce by checking the integrity of the food products, sorting categories and boxing items for warehouse storage. This helps prepare food for quicker and more efficient distribution to those in need.
Once food is ready to distribute to our food partner agencies and programs, our fleet of vehicles loads and distributes food safely throughout Oʻahu and Kauaʻi.
Delivering Nourishment – and Hope
Hawaiʻi Foodbank partners with more than 200 food partner agencies on Oʻahu and Kauaʻi. Our food partner agencies are the most significant distribution avenue in our network – serving food in a variety of ways depending on the needs of their communities. These include food pantries, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, domestic abuse shelters, rehabilitation centers and more.
Together, we distribute food through feeding programs like ‘Ohana Produce Plus, Food 4 Keiki and federal commodity programs.
Equal Food Access for All
Our Pledge to the Community
At Hawaiʻi Foodbank, we believe in equal access for all.
Hunger knows no bounds. It does not discriminate based on occupation, background, race, religion, political affiliation or any other demographic factor. As such, Hawaiʻi Foodbank's pledge to the community includes embracing every member of our ‘ohana. We are committed to helping individuals stand up for their own dignity by providing equal access to healthy food – which, ultimately, can sustain hope for a better tomorrow. We will continue to work diligently to eliminate the stigma surrounding hunger in our communities.
There is no shame in receiving food because everyone deserves a seat at the table.
The Official Food Bank of the State of Hawaiʻi
Hawaiʻi Foodbank is a non-profit 501(c)3 agency that provides food assistance to the state of Hawaiʻi. We serve Oʻahu and Kauaʻi directly while partnering with The Food Basket to serve Hawaiʻi County and Maui Food Bank to serve Maui County. Together, we work to ensure that no one in our entire Hawaiʻi ʻohana goes hungry.
Nationwide Support and Accountability
Hawaiʻi Foodbank is a certified member of Feeding America – the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, encompassing a network of 200 food banks across the United States. Certification means Hawaiʻi Foodbank is held to the highest standards for food handling, storage and distribution, financial management, organizational stability, board governance, and more.
Hawaiʻi Foodbank is also a proud partner agency of Aloha United Way and Kauaʻi United Way.