The people of Hawaii are one ohana. The Hawaii Foodbank provides food so that no one in our family goes hungry. We work to gather food and support from our communities. We then distribute food through charitable agencies to those in need. Our mission is from the heart, and we will fulfill our mission with integrity, humanity and aloha.

Impact Summary from the Nonprofit The Hawaii Foodbank was founded in 1982 by John White. His Foodbank concept became a reality when the Good Samaritan Law governing food donations passed the legislature in 1982. The law encouraged food donors to donate unmarketable products by protecting them from liability except in cases of gross negligence or wanton acts. In May of 1983, a small warehouse became home to the first Hawaii Foodbank operation. White, along with a single driver, started the distribution of food, totaling 500,000 pounds to 20 member agencies that year. Since then, the Hawaii Foodbank has grown immensely with distribution now at over 11 million pounds to over 250 member agencies annually. Member agencies represent homeless shelters, halfway houses, low-income child care facilities, senior centers, emergency pantries, soup kitchens, rehabilitation centers, and youth programs. Over 183,000 individuals receive help from our agencies including the homeless, the elderly, abused children, battered women, the working poor, the newly unemployed, the physically and mentally challenged, and families experiencing temporary emergencies. In September of 1992, the Foodbank was instrumental in responding to the disaster on Kauai caused by Hurricane Iniki. More than two million pounds of food were immediately distributed to families suffering the aftermath. The Hawaii Foodbank is a certified membe of Feeding America, the National Foodbank Network. Certification means that our operation meets a national uniform standard for sanitation, food handling, health and safety practices and inventory management. The Hawaii Foodbank was rated Hawaii's number one charity by the Hawaii Business Magazine in terms of effective spending. The award was granted based on audited financial statements that show 94% of all revenues go to Food Distribution Programs while only 6% go to Administration and Fund Raising. The Hawaii Foodbank is sustained by a combination of agency fees, fundraising activities, private donations, charitable foundation and State grants, and the Aloha United Way.