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The Food Basket
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Aloha and Welcome to Hawaii Island's Food Bank!
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Created in 1989 out of the car trunk of founder Carol R. Ignacio, the
Hawaii Island Food Bank operated as a program under the auspices of the
Office for Social Ministry, a department of the Roman Catholic Church
in the State of Hawaii. Hawaii Island Food Bank served all people,
regardless of religious beliefs, age, sex, ethnicity or ability.
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In 2007, Hawaii Island Food
Bank operations became a separate non-profit organization named The
Food Basket by island school children. IRS recognition as a tax-exempt
entity is pending; contributions are still tax-deductible, however,
while the organization awaits an advanced letter of determination. At
no charge to The Food Basket, The Roman Catholic Church in the State of
Hawaii has offered to be fiscal intermediary for the duration.
Led by a core founding board of Hawaii Island business leaders that
included Ignacio, the agency continued its work and retained the
support of the Catholic Church. At time of incorporation, The Food
Basket had a full-time islandwide staff of seven.
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The Food Basket, Inc. is a clearinghouse for food and non-food items
that retailers, wholesalers and farmers would normally discard, and for
food donated by the community through food drives. On a daily basis,
The Food Basket staff members drive to donor sites to receive these
items. All goods are delivered to the warehouses, one in East Hawaii
and one in West Hawaii, where staff and volunteers weigh the incoming
poundage and salvage usable products. Once items are salvaged, they are
stocked for distribution via over 100 non-profit partner agencies.
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Over a million pounds of food is
distributed by this network of approved nonprofit agencies every year. Each month
approximately 3,000 unduplicated individuals receive emergency food
and/or hot meals. Requests for food range from 12,000 to 14,000 per
month. Partner agencies distribute goods directly to the needy either
by serving meals, providing food boxes, or providing snacks to adults
and children in various programs. The largest segment of these agencies
provides emergency food pantries to the hungry in their respective
communities. Agencies also include those that serve hot meals, child
and adult programs, programs that serve the chronically ill, homeless
and abuse shelters and substance abuse recovery programs.
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Additionally, The Food Basket, Inc. operates its own Senior Brown Bag
Program that provides items for low-income seniors at ten sites on a
weekly basis. Throughout the year, The Food Basket participates in
community forums and gives presentations to civic groups, schools,
businesses and other interested parties about hunger on the island and
steps we all can take to help make a difference in the life of a hungry
person or family.
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All materials © Copyright 2007-2008 The Food Basket, Inc; Hawaii Island's Food Bank
140-B Holomua Street Hilo, HI 96720 tel: 808-933-6020 FAX:808-961-6733
email:info@thefoodbasketinc.com
Visitor #
since June 2007
Last Revised April 2008
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