Over the next few weeks, as Thanksgiving Day leftovers disappear and Christmas shopping picks up, Charlie and Diana Lorenz will begin dismantling Feeding Hawaii Together’s Kakaako pantry, which helps sustain some 53,000 households on Oahu with free food, home furnishings and even holiday gifts. It should not be nudged out of the district.
The building on Keawe Street that has housed Feeding Hawaii Together (Hawaii Foodbank’s largest distributor) for 15 years has been sold. In recent months the couple has checked out scores of potential replacement sites. No dice. In each case, the rent was either too steep or the site was not a good fit, said Charlie Lorenz, who has been operating the nonprofit with his wife for 18 years. Existing operations are expected to cease by mid-December.
While the Kakaako district continues to transform itself with attractive new condos, a fresh batch of restaurants, coffee shops and other offerings, it’s troubling to see the exit of the capable pantry operation that’s providing vital weekly assistance to the working poor.
We join with Lorenz in holding out hope that something will work out by mid-December. He is talking with city and state officials and the nonprofit’s board of directors. So far, the state has stepped forward with free storage space in Wahiawa. From there, Feeding Hawaii Together might be able to truck goods to town for distribution. But, of course, the preference is to keep the operation in town.
Amid the statewide focus on addressing causes and effects of homelessness, here’s hoping that can happen. Feeding Hawaii Together is not riddled with problems. To the contrary, it just needs to relocate its inventory and appliances, such as freezers, to continue smooth distribution of goods to people struggling to put food on their tables after paying rent, utilities and other bills.
Here’s the wish list: A 10,000-square-foot space (though 6,000 square foot could work) between Moiliili and Iwilei, preferably near a bus line. Affordable rent. Available immediately.
Feeding Hawaii Together’s client eligibility is based on household income. For example, a family of three with an annual income topping out at about $42,900 qualifies to shop in a space that has the feel of a “mini Walmart” or a “mini Costco.” Rather than receiving presorted boxes and bags of donated goods, clients use shopping carts to make their own selections of fresh produce, proteins and canned goods as well as other household items. It’s an important bolster of independence and self-esteem.
About 90 percent of the clients are working people who have housing. The rest are homeless. More than half of the overall client base are senior citizens. Last year, Feeding Hawaii Together distributed more than 3.2 million pounds of food, helping to meet the needs of some 76,750 adults and nearly 12,700 children. It also partners with Aloha Harvest to offer food — much of it already prepared — to homeless clients.
Lorenz recalled that a few years ago, after closure for termite treatment, some clients told him they had gone without proper groceries while awaiting the pantry’s reopening.
“The hunger is real,” Lorenz said, noting that he sees between 100 and 150 new-client applications each month.
On Thursday, many of us will gather around dinner tables and express gratitude for people and comforts that help sustain us. Lorenz is thankful for his longtime Kakaako landlord, who has offered deep discounts on rent, and community supporters who have pitched in to help cover rent and utility bills.
Still, he is hoping that on Dec. 31, when the pantry’s last bit must be moved out of the Kakaako building, Feeding Hawaii Together will be moving into a site nearby. If not, thousands of households could soon be feeling the pinch of hunger as they scramble for assistance elsewhere or simply go without proper groceries.
