Grant for Local Food Distribution

Sust’ainable Molokai News Release

Sustʻainable Molokai recently received a $34,375 grant from the First Nations Development Institute of Longmont, Colorado. This award will support the efforts of Project Hoʻokuʻikahi Aloha Molokai, which distributes locally produced food to Molokai residents through our island’s 22 food pantries.

This project began as a hui of community organizations that rallied together to provide food for our Molokai residents during the outbreak of the pandemic. The name Hoʻokuʻikahi Aloha Molokai means “uniting in love for our people of Molokai.” These and other efforts are covered in this short video, Island in the Pandemic, created by Quazifilms’ Matt Yamashita, which premiered on Oct 16, 2020. It can be viewed at youtube.com/watch?v=EfV8bQcXP2UO. Since then, the number of new applicants to Molokai’s food pantries has increased dramatically due to pandemic-related economic challenges. 

With the partnership of Maui Food Bank and the generous support of our various funders, our ongoing program ensures that Molokai’s Food Bank participants, many Native Hawaiian, continue to receive Molokai-made steamed kalo and poi as well as locally grown sweet potato, cucumber, tomatoes, and papaya, and locally-sourced chicken eggs, beef, shrimp, and fish. If you would like to support our efforts, you can go to sustainablemolokai.org for more information.

Now in its second decade, Sust’ainable Molokai continues to work with our community to restore ʻaina momona (abundant land) to Molokai. Sustʻainable Molokai is a nonprofit community development organization.