Paul Kawaguchi displays a $50 Foodland gift card donated by health insurer Alohacare, along with MEO Maui Planning and Coordinating Council Coordinator Zilpa Kaimiola (right) and expert Flo Andrion. Kaimiora and Andrion visited Halle Mahaor his Ecole on his December 21st to deliver gift cards to the inhabitants of Kupuna. — Photo credit: MEO
Over 400 low-income Kupuna on Maui, Molokai, and Lanai received a special holiday gift (a $50 gift card to the island market) through a $20,000 Aloha Care donation distributed by Maui Economic Opportunities I was.
415 gift cards were mailed or hand-delivered from MEO last month and can be redeemed at Foodland on Maui, Misaki’s and Friendly Markets on Molokai, and Pine Isle and Richard’s Market on Lanai.
The Foodland discount made up for the number of gift cards.
MEO staff from the three islands, who personally distributed some of the cards, shared in the joy of Kupuna. Many were supported by supplemental nutrition assistance programs or subsidized through low-income household energy assistance programs. Many people were surprised to receive gift cards and thanked them for their help.
“Our goal for this holiday season was to partner with nonprofits to make the holidays brighter by giving back to the community, with a particular focus on Keiki and Kupuna.” AlohaCare CEO Francoise Culley-Trotman said in a December 30 news release: “We are grateful that MEO’s broad reach and rapid response have enabled donations to help so many seniors throughout Maui County.”
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