The Hawaii Foodbank was founded in 1982 by John White. His Foodbank concept became a reality when the Good Samaritan Law governing food donations passed the legislature in 1982. The law encouraged food...

The Hawaii Foodbank was founded in 1982 by John White. His Foodbank concept became a reality when the Good Samaritan Law governing food donations passed the legislature in 1982. The law encouraged food donors to donate unmarketable products by protecting them from liability except in cases of gross negligence or wanton acts. In May of 1983, a small warehouse became home to the first Hawaii Foodbank operation. White, along with a single driver, started the distribution of food, totaling 500,000 pounds to 20 member agencies that year. Since then, the Hawaii Foodbank has grown immensely with distribution now at 8 million pounds to over 250 member agencies annually. Member agencies represent homeless shelters, halfway houses, low-income child care facilities, senior centers, emergency pantries, soup kitchens, rehabilitation centers, and youth programs. An estimated 150,000 individuals receive help from our agencies including the homeless, the elderly, abused children, battered women, the working poor, the newly unemployed, the physically and mentally challenged, and families experiencing temporary emergencies. In September of 1992, the Foodbank was instrumental in responding to the disaster on Kauai caused by Hurricane Iniki. More than two million pounds of food were immediately distributed to families suffering the aftermath. The Hawaii Foodbank is a certified member of Second Harvest, the National Foodbank Network. Certification means that our operation meets a nation