City and State convoy transports donations to Hawaiʻi Foodbank to cap off 2026 food drive

HONOLULU — The City and County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaiʻi teamed up for a finale celebration and convoy in the driveway of Honolulu Hale to cap off the 2026 food drive on behalf of the Hawaiʻi Foodbank.

The City’s goal was to raise 110,000 meals to benefit the community in the midst of challenging economic times, compounded by the recent Kona Low storms. This drive also comes on the heels of the Hawaiʻi Foodbank’s “The State of Food Insecurity in Hawaiʻi 2024-2025” report, which found that 32% of Hawaiʻi households were food insecure, including 247,000 individuals on Oʻahu. 11% of households went a whole day without food at least once during the year.

“Our City employees are so proud to work on behalf of our communities every day, and the food drive is a reflection of our team’s heartfelt commitment to go the extra mile to care for our friends and families,” said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. “The people of Hawaiʻi are always willing to give, and give, and give a little more, and that spirit is what inspires me every day. The City’s support for the Hawaiʻi Foodbank is strong and steadfast, and we are thankful for the Foodbank’s tremendous and noble work.”

In fiscal year 2025, the Hawaiʻi Foodbank distributed 17,899,106 meals across the state, providing food assistance to an average of more than 160,000 people each month, a phenomenal and meaningful service to the residents of Oʻahu and beyond.

This year, Mayor Blangiardi and the Honolulu City Council teamed up for “Hale Eats,” a food truck event featuring local vendors to raise money for the Foodbank. The event was highly successful, drawing a crowd of hundreds. The money raised from that event and the entire 2026 food drive are currently being tallied.

During the finale event today, food donations from City and State departments were collected in the courtyard of Honolulu Hale. City and State employees then formed a human chain to load the food items into a Foodbank truck, as the Royal Hawaiian Band played on the lawn.

Vehicles representing the State’s Department of Law Enforcement, the Department of Accounting and General Services, and the University of Hawaiʻi joined a convoy with the City’s Honolulu Fire Department, the Honolulu Ocean Safety Department, Crisis Outreach Response and Engagement (C.O.R.E.), and TheHandi-Van. The convoy was escorted to the Hawaiʻi Foodbank warehouse by the Honolulu Police Department’s Solo Motorcycle Detail.