City and County of Honolulu News Releases

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CITY HELPING THE HAWAII FOODBANK FEED THE HUNGRY   (Thurs., March 31, 2011)—Mayor Peter Carlisle and top City officials joined the Hawaii Foodbank in front of Honolulu Hale today to stuff a City bus with donated food items and raise public awareness about hunger in Hawaii.               "Now, more than ever, the hungry of Hawaii need our help," said Carlisle, who proclaimed April 2011 as "Food Drive Month." "The sluggish economy and loss of jobs have caused serious hardship for many of our residents. The Hawaii Foodbank's mission is to help ensure that no one goes hungry, and it's very important for all of us to assist in any way we can."               The City and County of Honolulu kicked off its annual food drive in February, and hopes to raise more than 12,000 pounds of food and $10,000 for the Hawaii Foodbank by April 16. The Honolulu Fire Department will be accepting non-perishable food donations from the community at all neighborhood fire stations from April 1 through April 30, Mon. through Fri., 8 am to 5 pm.               The Hawaii Foodbank provides food through member agencies to 183,500 individuals each year, including 55,050 children and 11,010 adults age 65 or older. Nearly 80 percent of client households do not always know where they will get their next meal, and 28 percent have had to choose between food and paying rent or mortgage.               The Hawaii Foodbank's Top 5 Most Wanted items are canned meats or tuna, canned meals, canned soups, canned vegetable and canned fruits. The Hawaii Foodbank hopes to collect a total of one million meals worth of food and funds this year.               The Hawaii Foodbank's official Food Drive Day is Saturday, April 16, 2011. Thousands of volunteers will collect food and fishnet for dollars at sites around Oahu while raising awareness about hunger in Hawaii. Donations may be dropped off between 8 am and 3 pm at the following sites: Koko Marina Shopping Center; McCully Shopping Center; Pearl City Shopping Center; Pearl Highlands Center; Town Center Mililani; Waianae Mall Shopping Center; Waiokeola Congregational Church in Kahala; Waterfront Plaza/Restaurant Row; and Windward City Shopping Center.               For more information, go to www.hawaiifoodbank.org   -30-   Media contact: Louise Kim McCoy, Mayor's Office, 768-7798.