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Alarming Hawaii Foodbank report finds 1 in 3 Hawaii households are food insecure

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Alarming Hawaii Foodbank report finds 1 in 3 Hawaii households are food insecure


HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – As inflation pushes grocery prices higher, paychecks aren’t keeping up. As a result, more people are going without food on a regular basis, a new report finds.

The Hawaii Foodbank commissioned a first-of-its-kind study last year to get statistics specific to Hawaii’s diverse communities.

Advocates say they found a public health crisis that’s worse than they thought.

“It’s more than twice the national average. So it is quite high,” said Amy Miller. president and CEO of Hawaii Foodbank, referring to the number of people considered “food insecure.”

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“Almost a third of Hawaii households don’t have regular access to safe and healthy foods. We have 1 in 10 households right here in Hawaii where people are going a whole day without eating.”

Other key findings from the report:

  • 1 in 3 children experience food insecurity, with 6% going an entire day without food
  • Nearly half of adults aged 18-29 were the most affected by food insecurity
  • 44% of college students don’t have enough to eat
  • More than 40% of native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and Filipinos are food insecure
  • Food insecurity was highest on Hawaiʻi Island, followed by Maui, then Oʻahu, and Kauaʻi.

“Grocery prices have gone up 25% since COVID. So for so many families it’s already hard to make ends meet and price food prices going up that high is just too much,” Miller said.

“We’re seeing families coming to distributions for the first time, they’ve never needed to ask for help before. But they work. Sometimes they work two jobs, even three jobs.”

And while there are goverment hunger relief programs, many working families aren’t eligible for SNAP and other aid, so they turn to churches and nonprofits for help.

“There’s more needs of food. And they are people who are employed. But in addition they need food. After bills and stuff, they don’t have enough,” said Brenda Libby, of Windward Baptist Church, which distributes Foodbank food to those who need it.

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To save money, families are also foregoing medicine and health care.

Advocates hope the report should prompt swift action, whether it’s through private donations or government funding.

“More aid for people, especially families., working families and are homelessness,” Libby said.

The Foodbank plans to host distributions and hot meal sites this summer, especially with families not able to access school meals.

Its Kauai 4 Keiki program, for example, is giving away free meals this summer to eligible children ages 18 and younger (or up to 22 years of age with a disability and enrolled in a HIDOE school) who reside in a rural areas or these specific area codes: 96707, 96717, 96730, 96731, 96744, 96762, 96786, 96795.

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The Foodbank will provide meal boxes at five Kaukau 4 Keiki food distribution sites from June 3 through July 26, 2024. Each box will contain groceries to prepare seven days of breakfast and lunch for one child.

Registration is on a first come, first served basis at HawaiiFoodbank.org/kaukau.

If you or someone you know needs help, or if you’d like to donate, visit hawaiifoodbank.org.



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Missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi’s family says Venmo payments to mystery duo — possibly for tarot reading — being probed

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Missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi’s family says Venmo payments to mystery duo — possibly for tarot reading — being probed


The family of missing Hawaiian photographer Hannah Kobayashi says two suspicious Venmo payments she made to a man and woman around the time she vanished are being investigated by cops.

Kobayashi, 30, made the payments on Nov. 9 — a day after she missed a connecting flight to New York and was left stranded in Los Angeles, her aunt Larie Pidgeon told the US Sun.

Kobayashi’s father seen in a post.

One sent at 6:25 p.m. was to a woman named Veronica Almendarez and had a description of a bow-and-arrow emoji.

The second payment was made less than an hour later — at 7:19 p.m. — to a man named Jonathan Taylor with the subject line “Reading,” which appeared to be for a tarot card reading, sources told the outlet.

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“We have been made aware and so have the LAPD. It’s in their hands,” Pidgeon told the Sun.

The 58-year-old jumped to his death amid the search for missing daughter Hannah. AP
Hannah Kobayashi seen in a social media post. Larie Ingrum/Facebook

“We are still focused on Downtown LA. Even though it’s been 15 [days] we still have hope,” she added.

The distraught aunt also said the family was asking people “across the nation to keep an eye in case she has been taken outside of California.”

“We are looking at all possibilities, hotels, metros, bus, train stations,” she added.

Hannah Kobayashi went missing in Los Angeles in early November. Facebook
One of the last sightings of Kobayashi was at LAX airport. Missing People In America/Facebook

It was not immediately clear how much money Kobayashi sent either of the recipients, who have not been accused of any wrongdoing.

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Taylor, who has since gone private on social media, did not respond to multiple requests for comment, the Sun said.

There was no mention of Almendarez.

The LAPD would only tell the Sun that it was still investigating the missing woman’s disappearance.



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Hawaii hoops survives a scare from the Sharks of HPU

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Hawaii hoops survives a scare from the Sharks of HPU


The University of Hawai‘i men’s basketball team narrowly avoided an upset Tuesday night, holding off Division II Hawai‘i Pacific 67-63 in a tense contest at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

The Sharks, representing the PacWest Conference, gave the Rainbow Warriors all they could handle, building a five-point lead at halftime behind a stellar performance from Sherman Brashear, who finished with a team-high 22 points.

Hawai‘i clawed back thanks to an impressive night from beyond the arc, sinking 15 of 31 three-point attempts. Leading the charge was Kody Williams, who scored a career-high 24 points, including seven three-pointers. Ryan Rapp contributed 12 points, hitting four shots from deep.

With the win, the Rainbow Warriors improve to 5-1, wrapping up their season-opening homestand. Their next game will be on the road against Grand Canyon University next Tuesday.

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For the Sharks, led by second-year head coach Jesse Nakanishi, the focus shifts to the Hoops in Hawai‘i Thanksgiving Classic, where they will open against Grace Christian on Friday night.



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Oregon women’s basketball drops second straight to South Dakota State in Hawaii tournament

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Oregon women’s basketball drops second straight to South Dakota State in Hawaii tournament


Oregon women’s basketball will return from Hawaii with plenty of lessons, but with no wins.

The No. 21 Ducks lost, 75-70, to South Dakota State on Tuesday in the second of two games at the North Shore Showcase tournament in Laie, Hawaii. One day after being dominated on the boards in a blowout loss to Georgia Tech, Oregon was unable to make a late comeback against the Jackrabbits.

The Ducks (6-2) were led by 19 points from Deja Kelly, along with 10 points and eight rebounds from Amina Muhammad. The Jackrabbits (4-2) got 19 points from Brooklyn Meyer, 16 from Paige Meyer, and 15 from Haleigh Timmer — shooting 50% from three and hitting 19 of 22 free throws.

Oregon made some changes to its starting lineup, adding Nani Falatea and Ehis Etute to the mix in lieu of Sofia Bell and Phillipina Kyei.

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It was a back-and-forth start, with Oregon and South Dakota State trading transition buckets. Eight lead changes and seven ties highlighted a fast-paced first quarter, with the Ducks taking a 22-19 lead through one thanks to a banked-in three by Bell.

The Jackrabbits retook the lead early in the second, however, and controlled much of the quarter by forcing turnovers and getting easy buckets in the lane. Oregon’s turnover issues fueled a 9-0 run for South Dakota State, which took a 28-24 lead.

Kelly would mount a response by carrying the Ducks on offense, hitting a few midrange jumpers to keep the game close. But the Jackrabbits hit a trio of three-pointers in the half and carried a 40-36 lead into the break.

Amid South Dakota State’s hot shooting in the third, Kelly kept up the effort on both ends for Oregon, making key shots and the right plays on defense. But the effort on the Jackrabbits’ part was relentless, and their shooting percentage climbed above 50% as they spread the ball around.

A three-pointer by Madysen Vlastuin gave SDSU a 56-49 lead late in the third as its bench erupted, and a bucket from Oregon’s Muhammad cut it to 56-51 through three.

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Back-to-back buckets for Muhammad and Alexis Whitfield to start the fourth made it just a one-point game, forcing a timeout for the Jackrabbits. And Kelly remained aggressive getting to the basket as the final frame waned on, hitting the tying free throw on her and-one with 6:14 to go.

But turnovers down the stretch, and an inability to defend consistently on the other end, was the Ducks’ peril as they attempted a comeback. Kelly’s jumper made it a four-point game once again with 33 seconds left, and an immediate steal in the full-court press led to a layup by Muhammad to cut it to two.

Down three with less than 30 seconds to go, a Peyton Scott three-pointer clanked off the rim. Oregon had to play the foul game the rest of the way and couldn’t catch up.

Next game: No. 21 Oregon (6-2) vs. Washington State (2-3)

  • When: Wednesday, Dec. 4
  • Time: 7 p.m. PT
  • Where: Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene
  • Streaming: B1G+
  • Radio: Oregon Sports Network

— Ryan Clarke covers the Oregon Ducks and Big Ten Conference. Listen to the Ducks Confidential podcast or subscribe to the Ducks Roundup newsletter.



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