On Saturday, July 23, 2022, more than a dozen Rotarians from Hawai'i Rotary District 5000 join other community volunteers at the Hawaii Foodbank to support the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, also known as Senior Food Box Program.
The Rotary Club of Hickam Pearl Harbor partnered with the Hawaii Foodbank to prepare food boxes for kupuna with the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), also known as the Senior Food Box Program. Promoted on the club's website at RotaryHPH.org and on Facebook, there was an overwhelming amount of interest from fellow Rotarians around Oahu.
With Rotarians from RotaryHPH, Honolulu Sunrise, Ala Moana, Mililani Sunrise, West Pearl Harbor, Kaneohe, Downtown Honolulu, and Pearl Harbor, members were able to have fellowship and fun, while providing support to those in the community.
This federally funded program is a critical service provided to low-income seniors age 60 and older. This program provides a monthly box of quality USDA food to low-income kūpuna. For participating kūpuna, CSFP provides more than just food and nourishment. It also helps to combat the poor health conditions often found in kūpuna who are at risk of hunger and experiencing food insecurity. CSFP helps vulnerable kūpuna from having to choose between food and other basic needs. The food provided in each Senior Food Box can play an important role in combatting the health consequences of senior hunger and, ultimately, can help kūpuna avoid costly hospitalizations and nursing home placements.
Senior Food Boxes are specifically designed to supplement needed sources of nutrients typically lacking in participants’ diets. Boxes include foods such as cereal, juice, protein, milk, peanut butter, dry beans, potatoes, grains, rice, cheese, fruit, vegetables and more.
Rotarian volunteers spent 2.5 hours at the Hawaii Foodbank in Mapunapuna to fill boxes with a variety of healthy foods packed over 2,100 boxes weighing approximately 32lbs each.
To learn more about the Hawaii Foodbank, visit HawaiiFoodbank.org
