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ELEELE, Kauai — With grocery shelves thinned by Hurricane Lowell’s damage and supply chain delays, the Hawaii National Guard joined state, county and community partners to expand a monthly food distribution at Eleele Baptist Church on Sept. 12, serving 225 vehicles and bolstering similar efforts at Lihue Hale, Holy Cross Church and King’s Chapel in recent days.
“This is something we usually do once a month; we usually serve anywhere from 75-125 families,” said Larry Hale, the pastor of Eleele Baptist Church. “But because of the hurricane, obviously there’s more people that need food.”
The island-wide operation, coordinated closely with the Hawaii Food Bank and local organizations, moved water, meals ready to eat, fresh produce and other shelf-stable goods quickly to households in need, with Guard personnel augmenting volunteer teams to speed distribution.
For Spc. Taylor Calixterio-Martinez, a Kauai native assigned to Echo Company, 29th Brigade Support Battalion, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, the mission was personal. “Most of my friends and family have been affected by the hurricane, and with the barge having delays and grocery stores not having food, it’s really good to see everybody being helped,” Calixterio-Martinez said. “It’s really nice that I get to be on orders and stay home for it.”
The event also gave a first taste of service to Recruit Ryan Murata, who volunteered alongside activated personnel while attending a Recruit Sustainment Program weekend. “It means a lot for me because I can feel like I’m in the Guard while helping out, and I just feel like I belong with everyone,” Murata said.
Regular community food distribution at Eleele Baptist Church continues on the second Saturday of each month from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., with emergency food supplies maintained on site for families throughout the month.
As recovery widens and damage assessments progress, the Guard remains positioned to scale support for local partners. Current response efforts tied to Hurricane Lowell include road clearance, transportation of vital equipment and personnel, search and recovery, water distribution and emergency power support.
