Saddened by cuts
Saddened by cuts
It is with deep sadness that The Food Basket, Hawaii Island’s food bank, will not administer the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program — also known as Senior Produce — this summer.
Since 2009, I have had the responsibility and honor to coordinate the Senior Produce program that provided grade-A, Big Island-grown produce to low-income seniors. In 2016, the program had more than 1,550 participants.
Every year, The Food Basket, with the help of volunteers — especially from the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program and community groups such as the Cooper Center, Mana Christian Fellowship and Puna Hongwanji — have worked together to distribute fresh vegetables and fruits for 15 weeks during the summer at more than 20 sites around Hawaii Island.
Mahalo a nui loa to the staff and board of The Food Basket for allowing this program to be one of the signature programs for seniors in our county for nearly 10 years.
Through this program, I gained a true respect for the farmers of our island who work long and hard hours to provide produce for our people. Get to know your farmers and you will realize how important it is to support their work and industry.
Much gratitude goes to more than 6,000 seniors throughout the years for their aloha and support. They provided the challenges and joys only service providers can fully appreciate.
This is a sign of more cutbacks and changes in resources, programs and services that we must not take for granted.
Values shape policies that direct programs and practices. In Hawaii County, food insecurity is a problem, not only for low-income seniors but for too many children, college students, homeless and other underserved populations.
Hawaii County can rally to take care of each other by sharing food, supporting community gardens, participating in community-supported agriculture cooperatives and living with aloha.
In the past eight years, it has been a “kakou spirit of aloha” that made the Senior Produce program a success.
Claudia Wilcox-Boucher
Hilo