The Food Basket Inc

THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION IS TO FEED THE HUNGRY IN HAWAII COUNTY WHILE ATTENDING TO THE ROOT CAUSES OF THIS CRITICAL SOCIAL PROBLEM. THE FOOD BASKET ACCOMPLISHES ITS MISSION BY PREVENTING THE WASTE OF ALL EDIBLE FOOD IN HAWAII COUNTY, FEEDING THE HUNGRY WITH THIS FOOD, EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY ABOUT LOCAL HUNGER AND WHAT CAN BE DONE TO SOLVE THIS SOCIAL PROBLEM, AND COLLABORATING WITH ORGANIZATIONS OF PARTNERING MISSIONS TO ERADICATE THE ROOT OF HUNGER AND OTHER SOCIAL ILLS: POVERTY.

IN 2022 THE FOOD BASKET CONTINUED ITS EMERGENCY FOOD RESPONSE WITH PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR RESIDENTS AFFECTED BY THE ESCALATING COST OF FOOD, WHILE ALSO PROVIDING DIGNIFIED FOOD ACCESS REGARDLESS OF GEOGRAPHY. OUR KUPUNA PANTRY PROGRAM (ALSO KNOWN AS THE COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM) SERVED 1,170 INCOME QUALIFYING SENIORS ISLAND WIDE. WE ALSO SERVED OVER 4,000 CHILDREN IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WITH 100% FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH RATES THROUGH OUR "WE GOT YOUR BACK" KEIKI BACKPACK PROGRAM. ADDITIONALLY, WE ADMINISTERED THE COUNTY OF HAWAII'S CONTRACTED KAUKAU-4-KEIKI PROGRAM TO 1,732 FOOD INSECURE FAMILIES OVER THE 6-WEEK SUMMER BREAK, SUPPLEMENTING GROCERY STAPLES WITH OVER 167,000 POUNDS OF LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE. IN KEEPING WITH THE FOOD BASKET'S POLICY OF SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL ECONOMY, WE PURCHASED 1.3 MILLION OF FOOD FOR OUR EMERGENCY FOOD PROGRAM FROM PRODUCERS AND BUSINESSES ON HAWAII ISLAND TO SUPPLEMENT THE FEDERALLY SUBSIDIZED FOOD SHIPMENTS WE RECEIVED. CUMULATIVELY, THE FOOD BASKET DISTRIBUTED NEARLY 3 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD TO RESIDENTS ACROSS THE 4,028 SQUARE MILES OF HAWAII ISLAND.

IN 2022, THE FOOD BASKET ACQUIRED 24.5 ACRES OF LAND IN HILO TO DEVELOP AN AGRICULTURE INNOVATION PARK AND FOOD SYSTEMS CAMPUS (AIPFSC) TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF MULTIPLE RECENT DISASTERS INCLUDING LAVA FLOWS, HURRICANES, AND THE PANDEMIC. THE AIPFSC IS AN IMPORTANT GOAL OF THE 2021 BOARD- APPROVED STRATEGIC PLAN AND GROUNDED IN A SHARED BELIEF THAT OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES SAFE, NUTRITIOUS, FAIR, AND AFFORDABLE FOOD. THE CAMPUS WILL INCLUDE AGRICULTURE CROPS, A COMMUNITY FOOD CENTER AND FOOD BANK, A STATE- OF-THE-ART FOOD INNOVATION CENTER AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR: FOOD PROCESSING AND DISTRIBUTION; FARM AND BUSINESS INCUBATION; AGRICULTURE TRAINING AND PRODUCTION; CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS.

DA BUX DOUBLE UP FOOD BUCKS PROGRAM CONTINUED ITS EXPANSION ACROSS THE STATE AND AT THE END OF 2022, WAS AVAILABLE AT OVER 100 RETAIL SITES. THE PROGRAM ISSUED OVER 2.3 MILLION IN FOOD NUTRITION INCENTIVES STATEWIDE ON HAWAII GROWN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. DA BUX PROGRAM ALSO PUBLISHED THEIR THIRD CHILD-BASED NUTRITION EDUCATION BOOK IN THE KAI AND HOKU EXPLORE FOODS OF HAWAII SERIES, TO HELP FAMILIES AND EDUCATORS EXPLORE LOCAL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES WITH CHILDREN AND TO ADDRESS THE TREND OF HIGH PERCENTAGE OF OBESITY AND CHRONIC DIET RELATED DISEASES AMONG HAWAII'S SOCIOECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED POPULATIONS.