Free weekly meal boxes headed to Kau children recovering from Hurricane Lala

KAU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Hawaii State Department of Education will begin weekly distribution of free shelf-stable meal boxes next week to support children and families in Kau who are recovering from Hurricane Lala.

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Department officials said the weekly initiative is part of an ongoing effort to support students and families while regular school operations in the area remain disrupted. HIDOE food service employees are being deployed to prepare, transport, and distribute the meal boxes.

“Given that some of our schools are still closed there, our school food service branch really worked hard to stand up these food distribution sites to begin next week to best support these families during this challenging time,” said Sean Tojima, assistant superintendent for the Office of Campus Operations and Support.

The department expects to provide approximately 4,500 meals each week through three dedicated distribution sites in Pahala, Naalehu, and Ocean View.

Each distributed meal box will contain five breakfasts and five lunches that meet school meal nutritional requirements.

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The meals are available at no cost for children ages 18 and younger. Department officials noted that children must be physically present at the time of pickup to receive a box.

Distribution will take place weekly from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the following schedule:

The distribution will continue weekly until further notice. Families are advised to monitor direct communications from their respective schools and the state department for any updates or changes to the schedule.

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