Kūpuna Food Security Coalition.

ENSURING THAT NO KŪPUNA IS LEFT HUNGRY OR WITHOUT THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO AGE-IN-PLACE.

ABOUT US

Originally formed as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kūpuna Food Security Coalition (KFSC) brings together a diverse cross sector of non-profit, government, private, and community stakeholders across Oʻahu to collectively address the food needs of older adults. As a coalition, we seek opportunities to synergize existing resources through innovative community partnerships. We strive to support impactful and sustainable solutions that provide food and wrap-around services to our kūpuna who need it most.

Our vision is a sustainable, equitable food system that:

Meets the food needs of all community members, especially kūpuna and other vulnerable populations.
Is integrated with wrap-around services to support healthy lifestyles and aging in place.
Contributes to a strong, more resilient community with the capacity to prepare for, withstand, and recover quickly from disruptions in food supply and access, such as natural disasters and other emergency situations.

KŪPUNA AT RISK

There are more than 300,000 kūpuna living in Hawaiʻi and more than 57,000 of our kūpuna are estimated to live alone. For kūpuna living in isolation, with physical limitations, or with chronic illness, inability to regularly shop can reduce access to consistent, nutritious meals. Food service providers help meet this need by providing free or subsidized meals to kūpuna; however, these providers may not be able to reach every individual need due to geographical restrictions and limited capacity. Additionally, homebound seniors may require specialized meals, or have additional needs that are not addressed by traditional meal delivery services. As a result, service providers across sectors are coordinating efforts to provide referrals and wraparound service to kūpuna at risk. The KFSC works to augment these services by creating space for innovation, collaboration, and reflection.

HOW WE’RE TAKING ACTION

The KFSC works continuously to expand a network of partners committed to ensuring the food security of kūpuna and strengthening coordination of kūpuna services across Oʻahu. As of July 2020, over 40 organizations have joined the coalition, providing over 500,000 meals since April and serving up to 7,000 kūpuna per week. The coalition helps to provide:

Project leadership and infrastructure
The coalition and its subcommittees meet regularly to share updates, learn what’s happening on the ground, and to identify areas for collaboration.
A community of practice
Partners from across sectors offer unique perspectives on kūpuna feeding and provide the content matter expertise needed to strategically move this work forward. Learning from each other contributes to a better collective understanding of kūpuna needs.
Alignment and coordination
The coalition collects and analyzes information from partners to drive data-informed policy and programmatic actions that work to not only keep our kūpuna fed and connected to the support they need to live healthy lives, but also to deploy resources efficiently and equitably. Data analysis also allows for transparency of work, ongoing tracking of objectives, course correction where needed, and assessment of collective impact.
Funding and sustainability
The coalition acts as a conduit through which grants, crowdsourcing efforts, and other sources of funding can flow to community-based programs. This allows for quick mobilization of kūpuna feeding efforts across the state, which is especially important for emergency response. The coalition also provides technical assistance around program scaling and sustainability, ultimately contributing to more resilient communities that better serve our priority populations.

DONATE NOW

WHAT WILL MY DONATIONS FUND?

DIRECT TO ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING KŪPUNA
Donations will go to nonprofit and other community organizations that are directly supporting efforts to put meals into the hands of vulnerable kūpuna including those with limited family support, health limitations, and economically challenged.
The coalition has 22 members and counting from the non-profit, government agencies, private sector, and academia, all mobilized to provide meals to our kūpuna who are vulnerable and food insecure.
HOW DO WE DETERMINE NEED?
Two sources of data are being used to identify zip codes with households in greatest need for meals: 1) U.S. Census and 2) Aloha United Way data on Hawaiʻi households who are asset limited, income constrained, and employed (ALICE). Data will support the coalition’s priority setting and resource distribution.