Our Work
Food 4 Keiki
Hunger deprives our keiki of more than just food. It’s a simple fact: a child’s chance for a bright tomorrow starts with getting enough food to eat today.
In Hawai‘i, 1 in 3 keiki may not know where they will get their next meal. For more than 80,000 keiki in Hawai‘i, getting the energy they need to learn and grow can be a daily challenge. Feeding keiki who are facing hunger is about more than simply giving them food. It’s about providing nourishment, wellness and strength. That’s why Hawai‘i Foodbank has developed Food 4 Keiki – a group of programs that aims to provide nutritious food to improve our keiki’s health and well-being.
These programs include our School Pantry initiative and Feeding Our Future, a summer lunch program.
Food 4 Keiki School Pantry Program
The negative effects of hunger on academic performance have been well documented for years. Well-nourished, food-secure students have higher rates for cognitive activity, school attendance and academic achievements. Providing growing minds and bodies with well-balanced foundations naturally leads to higher education, qualifications, capacity, experience, and a greater learning potential.
To help, Hawai‘i Foodbank launched the Food 4 Keiki School Pantry program. The program serves as a critical food resource for young students, their siblings and their families. The School Pantries provide after-school snacks for young students, as well as additional food bags to take home. Bags are filled with canned proteins, canned meals, dry goods, snacks and more.
Food 4 Keiki School Pantry
Program Development on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i
Program Development on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i
Since the opening of the first School Pantry on O‘ahu in May 2018, our School Pantry program has expanded to 56 sites on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i. Last school year, the program distributed over 600,000 pounds of food to nearly 156,000 keiki and family members.
School Pantry Locations
O‘ahu
‘Aiea Elementary School
Ala Wai Elementary School
James Campbell High School
James B. Castle High School
Sanford B. Dole Middle School
W.R. Farrington High School
Hau‘ula Elementary School
Ka Waihona o ka Na‘auao Public Charter School
Ka‘ala Elementary School
Kahuku Elementary School
Kailua Elementary School
Kailua High School
Princess Victoria Ka‘iulani Elementary School
Kalihi Elementary School
Kamaile Academy Public Charter School
Kamalani Academy Public Charter School
Ke‘elikōlani Middle School
S.W. King Intermediate School
Kīpapa Elementary School
Leihōkū Elementary School
Linapuni Elementary School
Māʻili Elementary School
Mākaha Elementary School
Nānāikapono Elementary School
Nānākuli Elementary School
Nānākuli High and Intermediate School
Olomana School
Pālolo Elementary School
Pearl City High School
Blanche Pope Elementary School
Wahiawā Elementary School
Wahiawā Middle School
Waiāhole Elementary School
Wai‘anae Elementary School
Wai‘anae High School
Wai‘anae Intermediate School
Waimānalo Elementary and Intermediate School
Waipahu Elementary School
Waipahu High School
Kaua‘i
Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School
‘Ele‘ele Elementary School
Hanalei Elementary School
Kalāheo Elementary School
Kanuikapono Charter
Kapa‘a Elementary School
Kapa‘a High School
Kapa‘a Middle School
Kaua‘i High School
Kawaikini New Century Public Charter School
Kekaha Elementary School
Kīlauea Elementary School
King Kaumuali‘i Elementary School
Koloa Elementary School
Waimea Canyon Middle School
Elsie H. Wilcox Elementary School
Ni‘ihau High and Elementary School
Feeding Our Future – Summer Lunch Program
For most kids, summer is the best part of the year. But, for thousands of keiki across Hawai‘i, summer means no more lunch. When school is out, these keiki lose their most reliable, consistent source of food. But, that doesn’t mean they have to go hungry.
Feeding Our Future is a summer lunch program that helps provide nourishment to students who may normally rely on school-provided meals during the school year. Hot lunches are distributed by our agency partners, including Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, Institute for Human Services, Princess Ka‘iulani Elementary, Mutual Housing Association of Hawai‘i, and the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i.
Questions About Food 4 Keiki?
Interested in starting a School Pantry in your area?
Hawaiʻi Foodbank works with schools interested in hosting their own School Pantry and offers consultation regarding space and equipment. Hawaiʻi Foodbank staff also works with the school’s existing nonprofit partners and helps build the community network to support the supply and management of this program.
If interested, please email laura@hawaiifoodbank.org or call 808-954-7885.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
For more information, please read the complete USDA/DES Non-Discrimination Statement.