Foodland Super Market on Monday launched Project Keiki, a new monthlong statewide community giving program that will help provide lunches and meals to Hawaii’s children on days they don’t have access to school lunches.
Support will go to the Hawaii food banks on four islands to fulfill this mission.
According to the Hawaii Foodbank, one in four keiki in Hawaii are food insecure, meaning they often don’t have enough to eat and don’t know where their next meal will come from. In addition, food insecurity among Hawaii families has increased by more than 50% since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Many children statewide rely on school-provided lunches for their nutrition during the academic year. On weekends and when school is out, many of them lose access to their most reliable and consistent source of food and nutritional balance.
Foodland created Project Keiki to support a community need, helping the Hawaii Foodbank, Maui Foodbank, The Food Basket: Hawaii Island’s Food Bank and Hawaii Foodbank Kauai fund their critical work and programs providing Hawaii children with meals when school is not in session. Throughout the month of April, Foodland customers are invited to participate in Project Keiki to help feed a brighter future.
Here’s how customers can help:
— Donate $5 at checkout;
— Round up your purchases to the nearest dollar;
— Donate your change;
— Donate 250 Maika‘i points (the equivalent of a $5 donation);
— Purchase a set of Foodland Pin Pals for $5.
Foodland Pin Pals are a collection of nine fun, food-themed pins celebrating some of Hawaii’s favorite local foods, including poke, poi, musubi and more. They feature playful puns such as, “It takes 2 to Mango,” “Taro-ffic” and “Bok Choy to the World!”
Three individual sets of three pins each are available for sale, and each set is priced at $5, with 100% of the proceeds going to Project Keiki.
Foodland’s Pin Pals are available for purchase near the registers at all Foodland stores.
“Like Hawaii’s four food banks, Foodland has a longstanding commitment to serving Hawaii residents and communities statewide,” said Foodland Chairman and CEO Jenai S. Wall in a press release. “Project Keiki is a program close to our hearts as it will help ensure Hawaii’s students have access to good, nutritious food on days they are not in school so they will not go hungry.
“Our Foodland customers have demonstrated their kindness and generosity in supporting the needs of our community and making our islands a better place to live. We thank them in advance for their support and hope they will be excited by this fun way to help feed keiki in need.”