Mayor Rick Blangiardi relaunched the City Employees’ Hawaii Foodbank Food and Fund Drive on Wednesday after it paused operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The partnership between the City and County of Hono­lulu and the state, which is holding its own coinciding food drive that began in February, aims to shed light on hunger in the community and to raise 500,000 meals together.

“Hunger is something that none of our family and friends should ever have to face but, unfortunately, it is all too common,” Blangiardi said in a news release. “Today, as a united team, we are doing something to confront that issue. We are sending a powerful message that our more than 10,000 City workers are willing to step up and help our communities in their time of need.”

One in 6 Hawaii residents are food-insecure, including 1 in 4 children. A study from nonprofit Hunger Free America Opens in a new tab published in December found that 137,000 people statewide lived in food­-insecure households between 2020 and 2022.

“Our City employees have big hearts and epitomize the true spirit of aloha,” Honolulu Council Chair Tommy Waters said in the release. “We must stand united in our endeavor to progress towards a future where every individual in Hawaii has equitable access to safe, nutritious and adequate food all year round.”

Oahu residents can participate in the city’s food drive by dropping off donations at Honolulu Hale, Ka­polei Hale, satellite city halls and Honolulu Fire Department stations islandwide until May 17.

Hawaii Foodbank President and CEO Amy Miller said the organization prefers monetary donations because of their buying power but that all donations are “welcomed, appreciated and impactful.”