Local News

Coast Guard airlifts food to Molokai

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Kalena Exnner (foreground), Petty Officer 1st Class Jeremiah Strombeck (left) and Petty Officer 2nd Class Garth Booye load new insulated coolers bound for Molokai onto a C-130H Hercules aircraft at Kahului Airport on Thursday afternoon. The crew out of Air Station Barbers Point on Oahu is scheduled to deliver the coolers purchased and donated by the Maui Food Bank today. Maui Food Bank Director of Operations Keith Wright said the 36 large Igloo Max coolers were requested to help Molokai agencies and residents safely transport fish, game and produce. "On Molokai there is a lot of harvesting being done, hunting, fishing and harvesting produce," Wright said. "There is a lot of sharing going on." A Coast Guard spokesman said the volunteer delivery was part of the service's ongoing community service efforts in Hawaii. The Food Bank also sent 23 pallets of food by barge to Molokai this week. Wright said the 3,800-pound shipment intended for people who are food insecure included grocery items and eight pallets of local produce.

Maui Food Bank driver Charles Heam wheels a pallet of coolers to a USCG C-130H Hercules plane at Kahului Airport Thursday.