It all started with a freezer full of food that couldn’t be used. Waipahu High School’s culinary program was stocked up for class cooking projects and special events, but when the coronavirus shut down schools, the food sat untouched.

So culinary teacher Elaine Matsuo got down to business. Along with colleague and chef David Dela Cruz, and other teachers in Waipahu’s Professional and Public Services Academy, she emptied the freezer and began cooking for the community.

The academy offers instruction in business, law and justice, teaching and culinary arts.

As word of the teachers’ plan got out, businesses joined in. With bread donated by La Tour Cafe and fresh produce courtesy Mari’s Garden and Aloun Farms, the group prepared 100 banh mi for Pali Momi Medical Center’s intensive care unit staff.

That was three weeks ago. Since then, they’ve made 100 meals of cabbage rolls and won bok salad for staff at Queen’s Medical Center-West Oahu, and meatloaf and won bok salad plates for Waipahu police officers and the night shift at Pali Momi.

The teachers don’t invest just time and labor, but also donate ingredients, such as the ground beef for the cabbage rolls and meatloaf.

“This is something we’re very passionate about doing,” said Matsuo. “I’ve been poor before, and I know what it’s like not to be able to get food, so it’s a part of me.”

Next up: 300 beef stew meals for the community at large, to be distributed by Chef Hui. King Specialty Foods donated more than 90 pounds of beef, Aloun gave onions and teachers provided carrots, celery and potatoes. Dela Cruz is also working on a fish dip using more than 100 pounds of fish donated by a church.