Testimony – Tommy Kahikina Ching

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Tommy Kahikina Ching 76-317 Kealoha St Kailua Kona, HI 96740 March 4, 2022 Kristin Frost Albrecht The Food Basket Inc. 40 Holomua St. Hilo, HI 96720 Aloha Mrs. Albrecht, Executive Director I would like to voice my support for The Food Basket's proposed Community Food Campus development on Ponahawai St. I have been fundraising for The Food Basket for 21 years through an annual event called the Feed-A-Thon. I believe that this new development will further their mission "to end hunger in Hawaii County." I share in their vision and it has brought us together kept us together for many years as a family. I am a community advocate that works in broadcasting and am currently hosting the "Pau Hana Party" on the Hawaiian radio station that promotes Hawaiian music and values. I am a big promoter of Hawaiian culture and am actually responsible for the birth of Hawaiian music on the radio that previously only existed on AM stations. I believe strongly in educating our community in Hawaiian culture so that it does not get lost and forgotten. The Food Basket's proposed project of a Community Food Campus will include sustainable crop development, agricultural and gardening education programs, a food and agriculture innovation center inclusive of food processing, along with a food bank and community center, with a strong focus on Hawaiian cultures and values. Their project will help to educate the people in our community on how we can all work together and help each other succeed and survive in today's fast -changing world. The way I was brought up is that we all move forward together. This is why I have been a warrior against food insecurity for over twenty years. The Hawaiian people had strong values in sharing and knew how to share for all, from the fish in the ocean, to the fruits and vegetables on the land, to the water that flowed from the mountain to the sea. There was no such thing as hungry keiki or needy kupuna because there was always "enough" for everyone and the children and elderly were always taken care of. Rather than just "No child left behind," I believe in "No person left behind." Our keiki and kupuna do not have the strength or often even the knowledge to care for themselves. Thus, following Hawaiian cultural values, those who are capable should help to provide for those who cannot. I am excited to support the work of The Food Basket and its partners through their collective efforts to build a more sustainable future and improved food security for our community. I look forward to working together with them as a Hawaiian cultural advisor as they move forward with this project to improve our island's sustainability and natural resources.