Liliuokalani Church Food Share: Hunger as an Issue of Justice

On Thursday, July 3rd, we had the privilege of attending the Liliuokalani Church Food Share Event on the North Shore of Oʻahu. We were invited by Professor Kaleo Patterson, an advocate in the reintegration space for incarcerated community members and a certified Priest.

Coming from a food insecurity advocacy background, events like these always hit close to home. Whether it was speaking with Evan as we shopped for groceries for him together or carrying food back to the car of participants, the space was welcoming, and the conversations were wonderful. I even met an individual who used to work in my home town, so we bonded over the intense tunnel traffic when entering the city and the Super Bowl parade after the Pittsburgh Steelers won.

I am also always reminded of how much a small act of kindness, such as providing bundles of bananas or grape juice cases, can give a second wave of motivation and hope in tough times. We never know what obstacles each individual is going through, so whenever I have the opportunity to assist, even in small capacities such as free food distributions, I always will.

My specific involvements as a volunteer were to assist with the shopping and carrying of the food for those in attendance as well as encourage their signing in on a sign-up sheet. Professor Patterson explained how this sheet allows them to gain additional funding and resources, as the more individuals that prove a demonstrated need through their signature, the increased attention and awareness is provided to their advocacy space. I found this fact particularly interesting, as demonstrating the need for food distributions is so critical, but I have never heard of the documented sign-up sheet need, since the empty boxes of food often suffices for demonstrating need and securing monetary resources.

Thus, even though we only volunteered for about 2 hours at this event, we were able to connect with the community, expedite the food securing process for individuals to return to their families quicker, and continue to strengthen the relationship between the food distribution center and the broader community. Every first Thursday of the month, the food drive takes place, so ensuring that we make those details aware to the public is crucial to encourage their return.

As the Director of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Jacques Diouf, stated, "Hunger is not an issue of charity. It is an issue of justice." I could not agree more.