ELEELE, Kauai – The Hawaii National Guard (HING) provided a helping-hand to community partners during a major food drive at the Eleele Baptist Church this morning on Sept. 12, 2026.
In the aftermath of recent storm damage and supply chain disruptions from Hurricane Lowell affecting local grocery store shelves, HING Personnel stepped in alongside state, county and community organizations to assist with food drives at the Lihue Hale, Holy Cross Church and King’s Chapel over the past few days.
The Eleele food drive expanded its regular monthly footprint to meet a surge in community needs following Lowell’s impacts, handing out food to 225 vehicles.
“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 effort relies on close coordination with the Hawaii Food Bank and community organizations. HING personnel assisted with the volunteers to ensure rapid distribution of water, meals, ready to eat, fresh produce and other shelf-stable goods.
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