 Contact Information
Nani Lee, J.D., Ph.D. - Executive Director
140-B Holomua Street
Hilo, HI 96720
Phone: (808) 933-6030
E-mail: nanilee.foodbasketHI@gmail.com |
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Agency Mission Statement:
The mission of The Food Basket, Inc. is to feed the hungry in Hawaii County while attending to the root causes of this critical social problem. The Food Basket will accomplish its mission by (1) preventing the waste of all edible food in Hawaii County; (2) feeding the hungry with this food; (3) educating the community about local hunger and what can be done to solve this social problem; and (4) collaborating with organizations of partnering missions to eradicate the root of hunger and other social ills: poverty
Funded Programs:
Emergecy Infant Formula and Baby Food Program: Intends to meet the emergency needs of infants and children by providing them with a supply of infant formula and stage 1 baby food while they wait for the processing of their WIC applications and their initial receipt of services.
Senior Brown Bags: Intends to provide supplementary food assistance to low income senior citizens at easily accessible sites.
Client Outcome Story: The Kalawe family reluctantly sought help from The Food Basket. The family of 5 with 3 children under the age of 4 found themselves without resources when both parents found themselves "laid off". While they applied for assistance, they fell into a "holding pattern" waiting for notice that they were approved for benefits. In the meantime, faced with a number of survival decisions, including purchasing formula and stage 1 baby food, the parents "watered" down whole milk so that they could continue to feed their own infant.
Families seeking food from the warehouse and/or comunity pantries have requested infant formula and stage 1 baby food for their children. Information received from patrons of our pantries reveals that poor families are forced to water down infant formula or they are substituting cow's mile (whole or watered down) before their baby's delicate system is able to digest this product. Infants are also being fed "table food" soner than is recommended due to the high cost of baby food.
