At The Food Basket, Hawaii island’s food bank, shelves are bare. At Hawaii Foodbank in Honolulu, shelves are not as bare, but keeping food in stock has proven to be a challenge for the summer.

Hawaii food banks have been struggling to keep their warehouses stocked over past months as demand grows, and are expecting even more need with the holidays just around the corner.

It’s all due to a “perfect storm” of challenges according to Kristin Frost Albrecht, executive director of The Food Basket — a reduction in government help, drop in donations, and supply chain issues, coupled with inflation.

One of the biggest impacts was the loss of a steady supply of federal commodities from The Emergency Food Assistance Program, or TEFAP, which comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Food Basket, which serves about 50,000 people a month, with sites in both Hilo and Kona, is one of several food banks in the state that is qualified to receive foods from the program.

In past years, the nonprofit would receive a federal supply of up to 100,000 pounds of nonperishable food, as well as cereals, frozen meats and other items, she said, but starting in spring, that dropped dramatically due to supply chain issues.

In August, the Food Basket received nothing from the federal program, and had to suddenly pivot to purchasing food on its own to give away.

“All of a sudden we’re having to come up with that money to buy food that’s gotten really expensive and we don’t have the federal food to fall back on,” she said.

Albrecht said she thinks the drop in supply is due to factories closing and a drop in production during the COVID-19 pandemic. Retailers are also selling what they have, resulting in less surplus to give away.

What’s happening to the Food Basket is happening to a lot of food banks across the country, she acknowledged. Due to geographic isolation, however, Hawaii’s plight is more challenging, given the extra costs of shipping and transport.

“It’s tough because we have so many people who need the help right now,”she said.

Albrecht is seeing a record number of people in need due to the escalating costs of daily living. This includes families with two parents working and kupuna who have been hit hard by the loss of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits after a bump up in their social security payments.

At the same time, there is donor fatigue, as people all around are hit by inflation.

At Hawaii Foodbank, which serves more than 120,000 people per month, shelves were empty a few weeks ago because containers were held up.

Fortunately, those containers came in and shelves are stocked again, according to Amy Marvin, president and CEO of Hawaii Foodbank, but supplies go fast. The warehouse moves about 50,000 pounds of food a day, and constantly needs to replenish its shelves.

Marvin also said there has been a “perfect storm” of challenges, including supply chain disruptions, inflation, skyrocketing food prices, and increasing gas prices.

The numbers of people seeking help from the food bank, which works with more than 200 food partner agencies across Oahu and Kauai, are growing, she noted, and some are faced with the dilemma of whether to put food on the table or gas in the car.

“More people are finding themselves in need of help, sometimes for the first time,” she said, estimating that the food bank is now serving 50% more people than before the pandemic.

Keiki and kupuna are the most vulnerable to food insecurity in the community, and hard-working families are also struggling to make ends meet.

Benefits cliff

The lines for food giveaways are growing in leeward Oahu, according to Alicia Higa, director of health promotion and community wellness at the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center.

WCCHC offers several regular pantries for keiki and kupuna in partnership with Hawaii Foodbank, the City and County of Honolulu, and Hawaii Public Health Institute.

Six to eight weeks ago, the kupuna pantry served about 520 a week, and is now serving up to 740, said Higa. Six to eight weeks ago, the keiki pantry served about 1,200 kids a week, and is now serving about 1,800.

In addition, the center holds regular food distributions, including one that just happened Sept. 18, spontaneously, after the center received phone calls from people saying they needed help, said Higa. Online reservations for 1,700 spots for the event filled up within three hours.

One issue she is seeing in the community is the loss of SNAP benefits due to a slight bump up in pay from employers, or higher Social Security payments for kupuna that kicked in this year.

Unfortunately, the bump in pay or payments results in a greater net loss in SNAP benefits, leaving some of these people struggling to put food on the table or wondering if they should pass up promotions.

“As weeks have gone by, we’re hearing more and more from the community about losing benefits,” she said. “That is one of the major reasons, in addition to inflation, (demand from) our keiki and kupuna pantry has gone up.”

She hopes that issue can be resolved to ease the unsustainable growth in demand.

“With the increase in participants, we’re trying to stretch the food out as far as we can,” she said. “It means giving out less than what we normally have.”

WCCHC also grows breadfruit, mangoes and avocados on its campus, which it is able to include in its distributions, and encourages the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables as part of healthy eating.

Higa said the center recently launched a pilot food subscription program, which allows qualifying households to shop for $250 a month worth of local fruits, vegetables and proteins, using vouchers, for six months.

This gives families the flexibility of choosing foods they want while supporting local farmers.

The next WCCHC food giveaway is scheduled for Dec. 18, which already has been budgeted for, according to Higa. Funding, however, is drying up.

A challenging year

During the height of the pandemic, the federal government provided a lot of food and financial assistance programs, and many counties were holding large-scale giveaways that shored up people when they could not work.

Now, all pandemic-linked restrictions have been dropped, those programs have ended, and everyone is hit by inflation.

“We anticipate those numbers will stay high for some time,” she said, noting it took 10 years to recover from the 2008 recession. “Our hope is we can continue to care for our community and ensure that nobody goes hungry. I think it’s going to be a challenging year.”

SNAP extension

Gov. David Ige recently signed a fourth emergency proclamation, extending SNAP benefits in the state through Nov. 18, citing food insecurity as one of the lingering effects of the pandemic. Under DA BUX Double Up, a statewide program, families can get a 50% discount for locally grown produce.

Marvin was encouraged to hear the U.S. Department of Agriculture announce last week that it would provide nearly $2 billion in additional funding to food banks and school meal programs to purchase American-grown foods.

Hawaii Foodbank has shifted from relying on donated goods to fundraising to purchase food, and anticipates it will need to spend more than $8 million this fiscal year on food.

Marvin said monetary donations in addition to food drives are welcome, because the Hawaii Foodbank can stretch those dollars via its wholesale channels and other partnerships. Every dollar provides 2.15 meals at the food bank, she said.

Friday was Hunger Action Day, and the Hawaii Foodbank sent out an email blast thanking supporters for stepping up, but letting them know the need is still great.

“I don’t think anyone should be ashamed,” said Marvin. “We feel really strongly that access to healthy and safe food is a fundamental human right. Everyone deserves a healthy and safe meal for their family, so please, if you need support, come to the food bank or one of our partners.”

For those who can, donations are welcome ahead of the holidays, with every dollar good for more than two meals.