Starting this morning, the Kapi'olani Community College Farmers Market is inviting shoppers to donate fresh produce, which will go to the Institute for Human Services and Unity Church of Hawaii to be distributed to those in need.

So, drop off Hawaiçi-grown veggies and fruit at the Give It Fresh Today (G.I.F.T.) project’s table, which is set up under a tent donated this month by the Hawaii Farm Bureau, which coordinates the market. Volunteers will be on hand from 7:30 to 11 a.m. Saturdays and will help load the trucks.
Vivian Chau, a teacher at Assets School, pitched the G.I.F.T. idea in Hawai‘i after meeting a woman collecting donations at the Edgewater Farmers Market in Chicago for a local food pantry.
“It’s a win-win for everyone involved,” Chau said. “The farmers sell more produce, the shoppers have an opportunity to support local agriculture as well as make a real difference in the lives of their neighbors.”
The IHS operates a shelter for the homeless and Unity Church runs two outreach projects: two nights a week of food service for Waikïkï people and a food service program for HIV/AIDS sufferers through Gregory House.
To find out more, or to volunteer, e-mail giveitfreshtoday@gmail.com or call 282-0053.