Nourish Our Keiki
Food 4 Keiki Programs
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 Hawaiʻi, 1 in 4 keiki may not know where they will get their next meal. For more than 81,000 keiki in Hawaiʻi, 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 Hawaiʻi 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, Hawaiʻi 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 family 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 Oʻahu and Kauaʻi
In May 2018, Hawaiʻi Foodbank's first-ever School Pantry was installed at Waimanalo Elementary and Intermediate School. Since then, we have opened 18 School Pantries on Oʻahu.
In 2020, Hawaiʻi Foodbank Kaua‘i launched its own School Pantry initiative and now serves at 12 locations.
In addition to our regular School Pantry model, we’ve also launched additional Keiki Pantries to help reach students in other areas. Locations include the Kalihi YMCA Teen Center and Hoa ʻĀina O Mākaha on O‘ahu and Kawaikini New Century Public Charter School on Kauaʻi. While not located on Hawaiʻi State Department of Education school grounds, these sites are still actively providing nourishment to hundreds more students on Oʻahu and Kaua‘i.
School Pantry Times and Locations
Food 4 Keiki
School Pantries
Oʻahu
- ʻAiea Elementary School
- Hoa ‘Āina O Mākaha
- Kaʻala Elementary School
- Kahuku Elementary School
- Kalihi Elementary School
- Kamaile Academy
- Kīpapa Elementary School
- Linapuni Elementary School
- Mākaha Elementary School
- Māʻili Elementary School
- Nānāikapono Elementary School
- Olomana School
- Princess Kaʻiulani Elementary School
- Wahiawa Elementary School
- Wai‘anae Elementary School
- Waipahu Elementary School
Kauaʻi
- ʻEleʻele Elementary School
- Kalāheo Elementary School
- Kanuikapono Charter School
- Kapaʻa Elementary School
- Kapaʻa High School
- Kapaʻa Middle School
- Kauaʻi High School
- Kekaha Elementary School
- King Kaumaualiʻi Elementary School
- Kōloa Elementary School
- Nānāikapono Elementary School
- Waimea Canyon Middle School
- Waimea High School
Feeding Our Future – Summer Lunch Program
For most kids, summer is the best part of the year. But, for thousands of keiki across Hawaiʻi, 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 food partner agencies, including Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi, Institute for Human Services, Princess Ka‘iulani Elementary, Mutual Housing Associaiton of Hawai‘i, and the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii.
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.