Hawaii: Urban Gardens Created To Address Food Insecurity In Honolulu’s Vulnerable Communities
Public-private partnership, seeded with CARES Act Funds, empowers more than 1,100 individuals to grow their own food.
During WW2 Hawaii boasted this statistic: “The twenty thousand victory gardens in Hawaii, making about one for every 21 people, have helped towards Hawaii’s self sufficiency, as they now eat better than they did before the present war started.” (Source: Two Bells, Los Angeles Railway Thanksgiving 1943)
This press release was produced by the City and County of Honolulu.
Dec 18, 2020
Excerpt:
O’AHU — Working together with residents across O’ahu, the Honolulu Department of Community Services (DCS) organized the creation of urban gardens at seven City-owned, special needs housing locations this week. With the goal of providing sustainable, fresh produce for those facing food insecurity, more than 160 garden beds were crafted and 20 fruit trees planted through a Food Security-Scaping Program seeded with CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds. The project will benefit nearly 1,100 residents from vulnerable communities including: previously homeless families & youth, k?puna, domestic violence survivors, and low-income families.
“Growing our own food on-island is vital to making our community more resilient,” said Mayor Kirk Caldwell. “Expanding our food production footprint will not only provide locally grown produce; it is part of a movement where the food we eat is grown, picked, processed, distributed, and prepared by the people of O?ahu for the people of O’ahu. Along with helping to sustain the bodies of those affected most by the pandemic, this project will also feed their spirits as they see their hard work grow into what will become vibrant urban gardens.”
At ALEA Bridge in Hale’iwa, program coordinators installed 13 garden beds and fruit trees like mulberry and avocado in late November. April Keller and her young son venture out to the flourishing gardens every morning to look at the array of growing vegetables, including tomatoes, squash, lettuce, and kale as well as herbs like mint.
