Credit Unions Help Feed the Hungry
June 18, 2013
LIHUE The credit unions on Kauai are in position to help feed the hungry in partnership with the Kauai Independent Food Bank.
Friday, teams representing the credit unions and the KIFB left with promotional announcements for the islandwide credit union fundraiser and food drive supporting KIFB.
Credit union members and the public are invited to visit any of the credit unions from Kekaha to Kapaa to help them meet their goal of raising $10,000 and 10,000 pounds of food from June 17 through 28.
Each credit union will have a designated collection area and donations can be dropped off during regular business hours.
"It is imperative that we all join in this initiative for an admirable and worthy cause," said Melvin Chiba, president of the Kauai Chapter of the Hawaii Credit Union League, while addressing Chapter members. "Let your family and friends know and invite credit union members and non-members to participate by giving generously."
Chiba said more importantly, the message is to raise awareness within our own community and how the food drive helps those families who need the help.
The credit unions established "End Hunger in 2013" as its theme because the six Kauai credit union collections stay on Kauai to help feed Kauais many hungry families.
Participating credit unions include the Garden Island Federal Credit Union in Lihue and Koloa, the Kauai Community Federal Credit Union and its branches in Waimea, Eleele, Kukui Grove, Lihue and Kapaa, the Kauai Government Employees Federal Credit Union, the Kauai Teachers Federal Credit Union, the Kekaha Federal Credit Union, and the McBryde Federal Credit Union in Eleele.
The Kauai Chapter of the Hawaii Credit Union League consists of six credit unions with about $649 million in combined assets and serves a membership base of more than 55,000 people.
The Kauai Independent Food Bank has been serving the Kauai community since 1994, providing nutritious food to the hungry and responding to emergencies.
KIFB relies on the community for a lot of its quality, non-perishable, healthy food items, the eight most requested items being pasta, tuna, peanut butter, canned soups, canned vegetables, rice, Ensure/Pedisure, and canned fruits.