Feeding the Hungry

Feeding The Hungry

Registration table

Every Thursday, the Feeding The Hungry staff of STN (read Wahiawa: Exit 8 if you haven't yet!) and volunteers head to to Kalihi for one of the  largest and most diverse distribution on the islands.  According the FTH information page (http://surfingthenations.com/fth/) 1/5 Hawaii residents suffer from hunger.   The day we volunteered, over 500 individuals took food back to their families, feeding over 2000 people.  Working the registration table with my friends Sarah and Jessi, we got a chance to engage with each individual.  Located right outside of Chinatown, a majority of the people where of Asian decent ... many with broken English, some who could not speak it all.  However, a smile is the universal language!
 

A VERY small portion of the donated food

Who put me in charge?!

While we were working the table, members of the team were busy unloading the three food trucks, setting up the lines, and 'talking story' with the locals.  The food was all donated by the Aloha Food Bank, and varies each week between 2-5 trucks.  Once registration was closed and the food put it, it was time to get to business.  Through the chaos, someone thought it was a good idea of giving me the bullhorn to announce what group would be going next.  After the last group was called, I got a chance to work the line for a little bit, as well.  It was a long and exhausting day, but so rewarding!  Not only did we get a chance to build relationships with the locals, but we were helping to provide them with the most basic of needs.  I'm not going to sugarcoat things and say the day was perfect and everyone was grateful.  Because this wasn't the case.  It was disheartening to see those who took advantage of the system.  There were greedy hands, pushing and shoving in line, and even some bitter words.  But the looks of appreciation, encouraging words, smiles, laughs and genuine thank-yous made it all worthwhile.

Distribution Line

Exhausted after a hard day, yet fulfilling, day!