Maui:Holiday spirit is on the menu Community mobilizes to serve some free Thanksgiving meals
COLLEEN UECHI cuechi@mauinews.com
Lanai High School students help stuff bags with rice and turkeys to be handed out during the Maui Hotel and Lodging Association’s annual Rice for the Holidays event Saturday on Lanai. Community members and groups are mobilizing across the county to provide food for those in need on Thanksgiving. The association distributed 5,000 5-pound bags of rice — 960 to Lanai, 960 to Molokai and the rest to Feed My Sheep on Maui, which will take 100 bags to Hana on Dec. 7 and distribute the remaining bags until they run out. Photos courtesy Rod Antone
When Hana resident Ben Nu spots a new face around town, he goes up to them and asks if they have somewhere to go for Thanksgiving.
For the past 12 years in Wailuku and now Hana, Nu and his wife, Jenny, have had an open invitation to the community to come to their home and enjoy a hearty Thanksgiving meal featuring Nu’s deep-fried turkey — “it stays moist longer,” he explained — and ham, as well as side dishes provided by friends and volunteers.
“We love meeting new people, my wife and I,” Nu said.
They’ll be among the many community members and organizations working to feed the public on Thanksgiving Day. From Hana to Lahaina, volunteers are out to make sure no one misses out on the feasting and fellowship.
In West Maui, the LahainaTown Action Committee is organizing the 30th annual Thanksgiving Feast for Those in Need, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at the cafeteria of King Kamehameha III Elementary School, located at 611 Front St.
Lt. Gov. Josh Green prepares to hand out bags of rice during the Maui Hotel and Lodging Association’s annual Rice for the Holidays event Saturday on Lanai.
“We call it the Thanksgiving Feast for Those in Need, but anyone that needs a place to go is welcome to attend,” said Tambara Garrick, treasurer of the committee’s board of directors.
Last year’s event drew nearly 400 people, Garrick said. They’re looking for donations to help purchase turkeys and other supplies, as well as volunteers to help set up from 7 to 10 a.m., serve the meal from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and clean up from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
After dinner, volunteers also put together plates of leftovers and take them to people who couldn’t make it down to the school, Garrick said. Any food left over after the deliveries gets taken to Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Center in Lahaina.
Each year’s feast is a community effort. This year, Cool Cat Cafe will be cooking the turkeys, while Penne Pasta chef-owner Juan Gomez will be the volunteer kitchen manager. Lahainaluna High School’s Honor Society helps with setup and decorating, while the Lunas football team follows through with cleanup.
Nonprofits also will be on hand — A Cup of Cold Water, Salvation Army, Feed My Sheep, Ka Hale A Ke Ola and Maui Rescue Mission, which will bring its new mobile unit equipped with a shower and two laundry units.
Volunteers can register in advance on LAC’s Facebook page or online at visitlahaina.com. They must check in at the registration table upon arrival.
Donations also can be made by dropping off a check at the Lahaina Visitor Center in the Old Lahaina Courthouse at 648 Wharf St., Suite 101; mailing to LahainaTown Action Committee (ATTN: Thanksgiving) at 648 Wharf St., Suite 101, Lahaina 96761; or donating online at visit lahaina.com.
Upcountry, one local church is continuing a roughly 20-year tradition of cooking turkeys in a Thanksgiving imu. Pukalani Community Church of The Nazarene cooks anywhere from 500 to 700 turkeys for local families as well as for donations, said Pastor Mark Gudmunson. It varies by year, but usually about 50 to 100 of the turkeys are donations that go to organizations like Malama House, Feed My Sheep and Salvation Army.
“And then we usually give some turkeys to our neighbors and just anybody we know if they need a turkey,” Gudmunson said.
The church at 211 Hiwalani Loop hosts a meal at 2:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. It’s usually pretty small, about 35 to 50 people, “but anybody’s welcome,” Gudmunson said.
The church also is looking for volunteers to help with the imu starting Wednesday from about 3:30 to 9 p.m. They start taking turkeys out of the imu at about 7 a.m. the next morning. Volunteers should wear clothes that will protect them from the heat. If people want to donate, cash is best, Gudmunson said, explaining that they’ll use it for the event and put the rest toward homeless ministries on Maui.
For more information, call Gudmunson at 269-8836.
In South Maui, every day is a little like Thanksgiving with the free hot meals that Hale Kau Kau serves out of the kitchen at St. Theresa Church. But Thursday, they’ll be holding an annual sit-down luncheon in Stawasz Hall from noon to 2 p.m. Last year, just under 200 people showed up, volunteer Mary Trotto said.
The menu will feature a traditional turkey and all the trimmings. If anyone wants to donate, they should bring dessert, which sometimes gets overlooked in the mix of mostly turkey donations, Trotto said. About 70 volunteers have already signed up to help, but Trotto said they still need more drivers to help deliver about 75 meals to homebound residents.
For more information, call 875-8754.
“We hope no one goes home on Thanksgiving without a meal,” Trotto said.
In Kahului, the University of Hawaii Maui College is partnering with the Salvation Army to host a pre-Thanksgiving luncheon from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Pa’ina Building cafeteria, said Douglas Paul, general manager of the UH-MC Culinary Arts Program. Last year, the culinary students and staff served about 275 people.
“If you are alone, without a home, in need of a hot meal, or simply wish to share in the fellowship of ohana, please join us for a free Thanksgiving meal,” Salvation Army spokesperson David Sayre said. “Everyone is welcome!”
According to Lt. Steven Howard, Maui County coordinator and Kahului Corps officer, no additional volunteers or donations are needed for the UH-MC meal. However, the Salvation Army is seeking volunteers for Red Kettles through Dec. 24.
For more information, contact the Kahului Corps at 871-6270.
Meanwhile, out in Hana, Nu has plenty to be thankful for this year — he had quadruple bypass surgery April 10. When asked if he thought about foregoing the Thanksgiving hosting tradition this year, he said, “it crossed my mind, but we just really love doing what we do.”
He said he’s made a full recovery and is healthy enough to play volleyball with his grandkids on the beach. So, nothing’s stopping him from breaking out the fryers and the peanut oil. The Nu home is located at 2735 Hana Highway, and Nu said up to 75 people sometimes show up, including some from ‘Ohana Makamae, “Hana’s family resource center,” where Nu is on the board of directors.
Nu already has some volunteers lined up and said he didn’t need any donations at this time. But anyone is welcome to come. Live music and an open mic start at around 5:30 p.m., with dinner at around 6. Nu said it’s all part of his and his wife’s ministry, “The Gate House.”
“It’s very open. Of course, we’re not doing any message. The message is Thanksgiving,” Nu said. “Just being thankful, being able to share.”
* Colleen Uechi can be reached at cuechi@mauinews.com.
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Turkey with a side of aloha
Looking for a place to lend a hand or just share a meal this Thanksgiving? The following events are open to the public or seeking volunteers or donations:
Who: Salvation Army, University of Hawaii Maui College
Where: UH-MC, Pa’na Building cafeteria, 310 W. Kaahumanu Ave., Kahului
When: Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Volunteers/donations needed: No
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Who: Pukalani Community Church of The Nazarene
Where: 211 Hiwalani Loop, Pukalani
When: Thursday, 2:30 p.m.
Volunteers/donations needed: Yes. The church is seeking volunteers to help cook turkeys in the imu from about 3:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and starting 7 a.m. Thursday. For donations, cash is best. Contact Pastor Mark Gudmunson at 269-8836.
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Who: LahainaTown Action Committee
Where: King Kamehameha III Elementary, 611 Front St., Lahaina
When: Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Volunteers/donations needed: Yes. Go to visitlahaina.com, call 667-9175 or visit the committee’s Facebook page
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Who: Hale Kau Kau
Where: St. Theresa Church, 25 W. Lipoa St., Kihei
When: Thursday, noon to 2 p.m.
Volunteers/donations needed: Yes. Hale Kau Kau is seeking donations of desserts as well as drivers to deliver meals to homebound residents. Call 875-8754.
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Who: Ben and Jenny Nu
Where: 2735 Hana Highway, Hana
When: Thursday, 5:30 p.m.
Volunteers/donations needed: No.
