Disaster Response

When disasters unfold, many hard-working families are forced to face hunger for the first time in their lives.

At Hawai‘i Foodbank, we see our ability to support our ‘ohana in times of crisis as a vital part of our broader mission to nourish our ‘ohana today while we work to end hunger tomorrow.

Our Commitment

Hawai‘i Foodbank is a go-to agency for food response and relief when a crisis hits our islands. Recent disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighted the vulnerability of food security in our isolated islands.

Such disasters have also lifted the power of our community to respond, surfacing new possibilities for the Foodbank to deepen its impact by leveraging our networks and relationships in support of a more coordinated and effective response to feeding needs. This is why one of our four pillars named in our 2023-2027 Strategic Plan is to be a proactive leader and supportive partner in disaster preparedness and response, formalizing our historical work in this area.

A close-up of a cardboard box labeled "DISASTER RELIEF" from the Hawaii Food Bank.

With the support of generous grants from the Hawai‘i Community Foundation and the Stupski Foundation, we have been able to kick start our Disaster Planning and Response Program in 2023. This program seeks to strengthen Hawai‘i Foodbank’s internal disaster readiness, build new partnerships with key stakeholders, and leverage our networks and position in the community to improve our collective ability to be the help we need during a disaster.

Previous Disaster Response Efforts

Hawai‘i Foodbank has longstanding experience responding to disasters across the state including Hurricane ‘Iniki in 1992, the Kīlauea eruption in 2018, the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in 2019 and the Maui wildfires in 2023.

Maui Relief Update

Our hearts are with our Maui ‘ohana and everyone impacted by the devastating wildfires that swept across the island in August. Recovery efforts continue, and Hawai‘i Foodbank is actively working to support our neighbors on Maui and our partners at Maui Food Bank.

‘Iniki Remembered

When Hurricane ‘Iniki visited Kaua‘i in 1992, it changed everything and left behind the worst disaster in the history of the State of Hawai‘i. 30 years later, the memories of the storm remain fresh — but the lessons carry Hawai‘i Foodbank’s mission forward as an essential emergency relief organization.

COVID-19: One Year Later

It’s hard to imagine it’s been an entire year of living through a global pandemic. Hunger is at its highest level in almost a century, but Hawaiʻi Foodbank is committed to emerging from this crisis stronger and even better positioned to meet the evolving needs.

Our Role in Disaster Response

As a certified partner of Feeding America, Hawai‘i Foodbank is responsible for providing nutritional assistance services across the State of Hawai‘i. We accomplish this by directly serving O‘ahu and Kaua‘i and by working with Maui Food Bank and the Food Basket on Hawai‘i Island. Together, our network of food banks makes up the Food Bank Hui, and — just as we have the day-to-day responsibility to ensure nutritional assistance services reach families across Hawai‘i — we also have the responsibility to be there to support in times of disaster.

On O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Foodbank is the City and County of Honolulu’s lead agency for emergency feeding. In this role, our team works closely with the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management to promote disaster preparedness and work with key stakeholders across public, private and non-profit sectors to support disaster planning efforts.

Our Kauaʻi team works closely with the County of Kaua‘i’s Emergency Management Agency through the Kaua‘i Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD), which engages a number of dedicated organizations in preparing for and responding to disasters.

Our partners at Maui Food Bank and the Food Basket take the lead on serving their island communities – before, during and after disaster – but can count on our team’s support for additional capacity or resources whenever they feel the scale of demand calls for it.

"We are better prepared than we were before, and we need to continue to get better. We do that by moving forward together. No matter what your piece is in the community, there is something you can do to support our collective resilience."

– Amy Miller, Hawai‘i Foodbank President and CEO