River of Life Mission is more than a soup kitchen — it’s a fresh start, a new hope and a brighter tomorrow.

It’s easy to see the constant hustle and bustle in Downtown Honolulu, especially in Chinatown. There, you can find endless mom-and-pop shops selling anything from Lunar New Year charms and beautiful handmade lei to some of the best dim sum you’ll ever eat. Among these beloved, quaint shops and restaurants stands an inviting unit on Pauahi Street named River of Life Mission. The difference here is that the delicious home-cooked meals made behind these walls are not sold — but freely given to those in need.

The building itself is hard to miss. Its exterior is weathered, reflective of the mission’s 40 years of service to the community; yet, a bright turquoise coat of paint continues to humbly adorn River of Life’s walls. And as the color turquoise represents protection, healing and connection, River of Life opens its dining room every day to neighbors facing food insecurity, houselessness, substance abuse and other crises — offering them a hot meal and a safe space to seek help.

These hot meals are made possible by Food Service Director Hilda Gibson, whose creativity in the kitchen is matched by the warmth of her heart. “When you taste my food, the love is in there,” she says. For each meal, she creates unique, flavorful recipes using ingredients that River of Life gets from Hawaiʻi Foodbank.

“Hawaiʻi Foodbank is a big blessing to us.

You can’t imagine that we can go to the Foodbank twice a week and pick up food, not pay a cent, and be able to do what we do for the community,”
– Shervelle Garnder, Operations Manager at River of Life Mission

says Operations Manager Shervelle Gardner, who has worked closely alongside Hilda for over 15 years.

River of Life has been one of Hawaiʻi Foodbank’s hunger-relief partners for nearly 25 years. Last year alone, the mission utilized food from the Foodbank to connect neighbors with over 95,000 meals. “The meals have always been a connecting point to be able to have a conversation,” shares Shervelle. “We introduce ourselves and always ask them their name. We want to have that personal connection with them — they’re somebody’s child, you know? We want to help our fellow person to get them off the street.”

After serving people in-house, River of Life delivers hundreds more hot meals, hygiene products and clothes to hub spots across Oʻahu to reach more neighbors in need. “They’re thankful that we show up,” says Shervelle. “That’s why I tell our staff, ‘They’re waiting. Somebody out there is waiting for a meal. Somebody is waiting for the clothes.’”

River of Life strives to lend a helping hand beyond just a hot meal, knowing how much of a difference maker food can be for someone — oftentimes serving as the first step towards a fresh start, a new hope or a brighter tomorrow.

“We want to not just solve the problem of feeding someone. We also help get them into some type of program — whether it be housing, the Institute for Human Services, detoxing, or going into a relapse prevention program. We want to try and help them with their needs, whatever they might be,” Shervelle explains. “We want to help them — body, soul and spirit. So, you can keep feeding them, but unless you teach them to catch fish, we’re not being part of the solution.”

The River of Life team knows this first-hand. For Shervelle and Hilda, River of Life helped them find their way, too, when they needed it the most.

“I’ve been homeless two times — as a child and as an adult. I’ve been in abusive situations,” Shervelle opens up. “In my earlier years, I did ask myself, ‘What is my purpose? Why was I born?’ I was ignorant to know where God would use me now: to use that experience to help others who may have gone through the same thing that I went through — to help pull them out.”

Years later, Shervelle would be able to share her experience with Hilda, who turned to River of Life when she was facing her own periods of darkness. “I was abused, and I didn’t tell anybody. I was in prison for five years and homeless for six years on the street,” Hilda admits. Without a lot of options, she found solace at River of Life. And inside those hopeful turquoise walls, she was welcomed with the same protection, healing and connection that have helped so many others. “I was broken, I was sad, and I had no confidence. But when I got here, I just wanted to do my best because I loved that I had a place to be — a place to stay and call home.”

With the help of Shervelle and the River of Life team, Hilda forged a path to recovery, ultimately landing her a scholarship at Kapiʻolani Community College’s Culinary Arts program. Her own life experiences, coupled with the newfound confidence that was instilled in her by River of Life, fueled her passion through culinary school. And her talent left a mark. She made such an impact on her classmates and instructors that, soon after graduation, she received an offer to work at one of Honolulu’s favorite restaurants.

But she turned it down. River of Life was calling. The mission was home.

Choosing to give back to the place that gave her a second chance, Hilda found a new purpose in life. Just as River of Life helped lift her from darkness years ago, Hilda’s meals now brighten the community around her.

My greatest accomplishment is when I see people eat my food and their face lights up. That’s my joy. That’s my contentment. That’s when I say, “Well done.”
– Hilda Gibson, Food Service Director at River of Life Mission