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Kōkua Box project continues to support pandemic-impacted workers

August 19, 2020

A Kamehameha Schools community partnership has distributed 750 free Kōkua Boxes filled with fresh produce and food items to Kakaʻako restaurant and retail workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the inception of the pandemic, Kakaʻako – largely made up of small businesses – was heavily impacted. In June, KS’ Our Kakaʻako, Hawaiʻi Ag & Culinary Alliance, and Ward Village collaborated to provide 250 Kokua Boxes to Our Kakaʻako and Ward Village tenants and their employees. By popular demand, the partnership’s July distribution event gave away 500 boxes. Another produce distribution is scheduled for late August.

KS Strategy and Transformation Group Principal Strategist Sheri Iha, Commercial Real Estate Transactions Director Marcy Fleming, Senior Real Estate Analyst Brian Helgerson, Strategy Consultant Wendy Kekahio, Planning and Development Director Calvin Mann, Asset Management Director Jeffrey Mau, and Bo Wheeler (Fleming’s hubby) stand ready to distribute Kōkua Boxes to the community.




The USDA Farmers to Families Food Box program and local food distributor Ham Produce & Seafood provided fruits, veggies and food items to fill the 35-pound Kōkua Boxes.




Volunteers from KS’ Our Kakaʻako, Hawaiʻi Ag & Culinary Alliance, and Ward Village teamed up to distribute the much-appreciated produce boxes to restaurant and retail workers.




The efficient Kōkua Box reservation system made pick-up quick and easy for registrants.




A Howard Hughes staffer flashes a shaka sign to invite the next car to drive up to the produce pick-up area.




Jeffrey Mau, KS’ Commercial Real Estate Division director of Asset Management, loads a car with a free Kōkua produce box.




Todd Apo KSK’85 – senior vice president of Community Development at The Howard Hughes Corporation – spreads a little aloha as he load cars with Kōkua Boxes.




Matt Choy, co-owner of PITCH Sports Bar at SALT at Our Kakaʻako, shows deep gratitude for his Kōkua Box. “An active community inspires us to keep fighting and never give up and reminds us that if we work together and continue supporting one another, we can make it through these challenging times,” he said.