How would you describe Hawaii’s food insecurity problem?

I really think we need to revisit and redefine “food insecurity.” Statistics will vary, stating anywhere from 1 in 5 or 1 in 7 people rely on some form of assistance to keep food on the table.

We saw during the height of the pandemic: people who were thriving, so many who were significantly impacted financially. All of a sudden, thousands of people found themselves lined up at community food distributions. And now with rising prices for gas, rent, groceries and other essentials, people are hurting.

Estimates show that more than one-third of the food produced never makes it to our plate and ends up in the incinerator or landfill. We need to do a better job of ensuring our precious food resources are fully utilized to feed the people. And we need more support to grow our local agriculture industry. This will help to build a more sustainable food system.

The dual purpose of our mission (rescue quality food to nourish and strengthen our community) is truly what makes us unique. Not only are we helping to address food insecurity (nourish), but we also are intently focused on creating a more equitable, efficient and less wasteful food system (strengthen) where our precious food resources are maximized to feed the people, not our landfill.

What are the sources of food that Aloha Harvest collects and distributes?

Aloha Harvest (AH) partners with hundreds of food donors, ranging from grocery and convenience stores, restaurants and food establishments, hotels, local farmers, distributors and various businesses.

Our top donors so far this year include Foodland, Y. Hata, Eggs Hawaii, Hawaiian Isle Water Company and Meadow Gold. And we collaborate with hundreds of charitable social services (pantries, shelters, other nonprofit organizations) to redistribute all this food throughout Oahu. Our top distribution partners so far this year include Hawaii Cedar Church, Angel Network Charities, Kalihi Valley Homes Association and Light of the World Ministries.

Where is the greatest potential for capturing food before it’s wasted?

Nationally, households are the greatest source of food waste in the U.S., making this a critical area for action. Approximately 37% of all surplus food is generated by consumers, for various reasons (over-buying, spoilage, wasteful habits, etc.).

Locally, organic wastes make up the largest portion (35.5%) of Honolulu’s waste in our landfill. The most prevalent material types are nonvegetative and vegetative food waste that together comprise more than one-fifth (20.1%) of the overall waste stream, much of it generated by residents (Waste Composition Study, 2017).

A significant component of our three-year strategic plan includes inspiring community action. We plan to expand our efforts to target consumers and homeowners through outreach, awareness and education, and inspire everyone to help us in our goal to eliminate food waste. For more details about our plans to scale our impact, you can read through our 2022-2025 Strategic Plan.

Which foods are not usable for donation?

We cannot accept foods that are spoiled or where the packaging has been compromised or opened. Prepared foods must have been catered or prepared in a certified kitchen.

We are working on building up other programs so that we can better utilize all forms of excess food, to create a more efficient and regenerative food system, especially through our Meals with Aloha program (creating prepared meals/meal kits to feed families in need through a unique aggregation of rescued excess food and purchased local ingredients), as well as our Oahu Composting Project (joint effort with the City and County of Honolulu and other nonprofits to divert post-consumer waste to create nutrient-rich composting material that we can put back into the soil).

What are the options for getting food to Aloha Harvest?

We accept almost all forms of quality excess food, whether it is fresh, frozen, prepared, raw, dry, etc. We also accept fresh produce, including homegrown fruits and vegetables, and will send volunteers out to harvest the produce through our volunteer-led Community Harvest program.

Our team at Aloha Harvest is made up of a volunteer board of directors, hardworking staff and dedicated volunteers — all who are very passionate about our work. And we stand ready to assist. We welcome your contributions and donations of food or funding, and you can email us at info@alohaharvest.org or call us at (808) 537-6945.

You can find out more about our team and our partners, the impact of our collective work, and how to support our mission to nourish and strengthen the community by visiting our website (www.alohaharvest.org) or follow us on social media@alohaharvest. Mahalo!

THE BIO FILE

>> Title: Executive director, Aloha Harvest

>> Professional experience: Educator at the Hawaii Department of Education for 10 years. IT/project management for another 10 years. Nonprofit administration is my latest (and hopefully last) career.

>> Family: Wife Marissa, 19-year-old twin daughters: Karissa, a University of the Pacific senior, and Brianna, a UCLA junior.

>> Fun facts: I am one of nine children. Twice, I sang in front of a crowd of 10,000 people. Although I may not look like it, I am an aspiring triathlete. My goal is to complete the Ironman 70.3 in Kona. Someday.

>> One more thing: I come from an immigrant family and when we first arrived in Hawaii 40 years ago, we relied on food pantries and social services to get by. Having that lived experience, I have a deep appreciation and sense of gratitude that I am able to do this work today — that I am now able to provide the same supportive services that we relied on when I was growing up.