Free Thanksgiving meal a community tradition

The joyful scene inside the Kealakehe Intermediate School cafeteria made Elaine Watai grin from ear-to-ear Wednesday evening. Hundreds of people gathered here for a community tradition that has lasted nearly 20 years: enjoying a free holiday meal with all the trimmings.

But it’s more than a warm plateful of turkey, potatoes, rice, vegetables, fruit, dinner rolls and pie, according to Watai, a member of the Kona Task Force on Feeding the Hungry. She said the warmth, welcome, care and sense of community also served lasts well after the second helpings and full belly.

“This event is all about everyone in the Kona community gathering, listening, smiling, enjoying and helping each other out,” she said. “It’s a chance to put all the problems aside and forget about the economy, recession and whatever else. Here, we are taking the time to concentrate on the love we have for one another, what we’re thankful for, and to take time to say ‘thank you.’”

The task force is a community-based organization run by a group of dedicated, selfless volunteers. To date, it has served more than 135,000 weekly meals through Meet and Eat, a program supported solely by donations. All funds received go directly to supplies and food. The task force is frugal when it comes to spending. Food is mostly donated from Cal-Kona Produce Inc., Fair Wind Cruises, Kona Mini Storage, McDonald’s, local grocery stores and the Hawaii Island Food Basket, said Ardie Ikeda, the task force’s coordinator.

The program offers a free dinner to the public from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Mondays at Hale Halawai and from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays at the school. About 300 people are served weekly. With the tough economic times and job losses, the task force has seen a definite increase. Still its members remain determined to make sure all who need a meal, no matter their circumstance, receive it, Ikeda said.

“We all have a responsibility to make sure that people in our community do not fall through the cracks. Our focus is very specific, and it’s just on feeding; there’s no other agenda but to provide a meal people can count on,” he said. “The Kona community is very active and giving. It’s filled with people who are not only quick to respond, but are willing to give on a long time basis. We’re grateful for all of the groups and individual volunteers who help make this possible week after week. If this one meal helps just one person who is hungry, struggling or in need of fellowship, and it puts him, her or their loved ones in a better place, then all of this is worth it.”

There is no criteria for receiving meals at Meet and Eat. Recipients do not have to be poor, homeless or destitute. Some come because they are low on funds, have a missing or late paycheck, or are on a fixed income. Others just want to eat, talk story and enjoy the camaraderie, Ikeda said.

Kealakehe retirees Irene Perez and Jane McIntosh attended Meet and Eat for the first time Wednesday. The friends and roommates said the main ingredient, which made this meal special, was gratitude. Throughout the night, they enjoyed meeting different people in their community, the great feast and entertainment. For them, the experience left them with a sense of being extraordinarily blessed.

Meet and Eat began in January 1993. The late community volunteer Ken Clewett and nine founding members created the program, choosing to hold the weekly supper in Kailua-Kona because of the nearby housing projects and high number of single parents with children. The first meal had 36 diners.

The groups that regularly volunteer at Meet and Eat are: Kealakehe Youth Neighborhood Watch, Grace Community Church, University of Nations, Seventh-day Adventist Church, Kealakehe High School Interact Club, and Kukio Beach & Golf Club. Other helpers seen Wednesday included Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts; Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps members; county officials, their staff and families; and employees from Air Gas USA and American Machinery.