Food Basket, a food bank on the island of Hawaii, has never experienced a food shortage like it does today.
“Never been this big – the drop in volume and shipments is unprecedented and frankly frightening,” Kristin Frost Albrecht, the organization’s executive director, told Big Island Now on Thursday, June 30, by email.
Supply chain problems across the United States, due to staff shortages and ongoing crop shortages, have left the shelves of the Big Island food bank empty.
“We are experiencing severe food shortages due to supply chain issues with the (Emergency Food Assistance Programme) which normally sends us – and other food banks – large quantities of food commodities,” Albrecht said.
The Emergency Food Assistance Program is provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. According to its website, the program helps supplement the diet of low-income Americans by providing emergency food assistance at no cost.
Food Basket received more than 1.4 million pounds of food through the emergency food program in 2020, gaining the most, 518,824 pounds, in the fourth quarter of that year, according to inventory information provided by Albrecht. Since then, the amount of food provided to food banks through the program has steadily decreased.
Inventory data shows that The Food Basket is projected to receive nearly 30,500 pounds of food from the federal emergency program in June but only received about 7,000 pounds.
“We started experiencing cancellations and/or delivery delays during 2020, but the volume we receive continues to be high, and while we’re already supplementing with purchased food, we’re not buying all of the food,” said Albrecht. “We experienced a huge reduction in the volume of TEFAP orders – and what had been ordered was most often delayed and/or cancelled – as was the situation for June with 30,000 pounds ordered and only 7,000 pounds delivered.”
He said an additional challenge arose because food had to be shipped from the mainland to O’ahu first, before coming to the Big Island.
The shortage affects all food bank facilities around the island. Food Basket collects and distributes food to those in need to and from facilities in Hilo and Kona, as well as to more than 100 partner agencies across the island.
The organization fills gaps in food as best it can with donated food and funds, Albrecht said, adding the donated funds allowed him to buy food. However, The Food Basket is very worried about the next few months, when there will be little or no volume of food coming in. According to inventory data, the food bank expects a little more than 61,000 pounds of food from The Emergency Food. Assistance Program throughout the rest of the year.
And if the actual number of meals he received in June vs. the projected numbers are an indication, The Food Basket could receive far less over the next few months if supply problems persist.
“The supply issue worries us because we are buying food to meet the huge surge in population needs due to the high cost of groceries, gas (and the distance people have to drive), utility rates, rent …,” Albrecht said, adding there were additional concerns about readiness. to respond during hurricane season.
The food bank accepts food and monetary donations at the Hilo and Kona locations. Albrecht says The Food Basket can use basic items, such as non-perishable protein, vegetables, fruit, rice, pasta, canned goods, saimin, eggs, bread, peanut butter and juice, right away.
“Anything will help,” he said.
Big Islanders can also help with the island’s food bank by participating in the second annual Fill A Cruiser Food Drive until 2 p.m. today, July 1, in the Kona Costco parking lot.
The move is a collaborative effort between the Hawaii Police Department’s Kona Community Police Department, Costco Kona, The Food Basket, and KAPA radio personality Tommy Ching and will help provide food to islanders in need.
Albrecht said The Food Basket is grateful for the continued generosity of the Big Island community.
“We couldn’t have done this work without their continued support – and their love and care for their community, neighbors, family and friends in need,” he said. “Mahalo nui loa from all of us at The Food Basket.”
Nathan Christopher
