Salvation Army in
Palama is facing
a bare cupboard

High demand empties
the food pantry and
prompts calls for help

The Salvation Army's largest food pantry on Oahu is empty after the last few bags of food were distributed to needy families last week.

Public's help needed for food The Salvation Army is asking for the public's assistance for donations of nonperishable foods such as canned fruits and vegetables, canned beans, soups, tomato sauce and tuna or small bags of rice to help restock their food pantry at Palama Settlement. Donations can be brought to the Salvation Army's Family Services-Crisis Assistance office at the Palama Settlement, 810 N. Vineyard Blvd., Room 9, or the organization's divisional headquarters, 2950 Manoa Road. For more information, call 845-2544.

"We have no food. It's gone," Family Services coordinator Chad Buchanan said.

The Salvation Army plans to send out more than 10,000 appeal letters next month to request monetary donations to help restock their Palama Settlement food pantry. The Salvation Army is also asking for donations of nonperishable food.

Meanwhile, Buchanan said he plans to pick up food at the Hawaii Foodbank as a short-term solution.

"Every so often we would run into problems like this," said spokesman Daniel de Castro.

Last year, the food pantry experienced a shortage in April. The organization received about $29,000 in monetary donations to purchase food after appeal letters were mailed out to donors.

About 10 to 12 tons of food were donated by schools, churches, organizations and individuals to the Salvation Army during last year's holiday season.

The last bags of food at Palama Settlement were distributed Thursday. The high demand reflects the need from residents struggling with housing costs, Buchanan said, noting that seniors are greatly affected because they live on fixed incomes.

"There's just a huge demand," Buchanan said. "It's indicative of the need."

"You see a lot of people near the end of month when food stamps are running out and the seniors are running out of money," he said.

About five to 20 bags of food are distributed daily from Palama Settlement between 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Food distribution is closed temporarily and is expected to resume when the food pantry is restocked.

"Sadly, we can't give anything that we don't have," de Castro said.

Individuals who pick up food at Palama Settlement will be referred to other social service agencies such as Catholic Charities Hawaii for assistance.

The Salvation Army's three smaller food pantry sites in downtown Honolulu, Kaneohe and Aiea have not experienced a food shortage, de Castro said.

He said there are many families -- some from single-parent households -- who live paycheck to paycheck and have to make difficult choices.

"Quite a few of them have to make a hard choice: lose their home or go a day or two without food," de Castro said. "When they come to us for food, they put their money into their rent so they won't be evicted."

Last year, more than $1 million was allocated for the Salvation Army's Family Services Office to provide financial assistance for rent, utilities and food. Most of the allocated moneys were used to cover rent and utilities, de Castro said.

"We're a pretty bare-bones operation," Buchanan said. "Even the food, we're not able to budget a lot. Keeping people housed -- that's our primary thing right now."