Banks Collect Over 12 Tons for Foodbanks

Two bankers help will food bank donations. Photo courtesy of Hawaii Bankers Association.

By Sonia Isotov

The Hawaii Bankers Association netted over 12 tons of food and raised nearly $31,000 in its fourth annual drive for the Hawaii Foodbank Food Drive.

“Collection on Maui will stay on Maui”, said Susan Kam Yokoyama, First Hawaiian Bank.

In all, ten financial institutions banded together to collect food and raise donations through several very creative tactics, including holding bake sales, car washes, and silent auctions.

Finance Factors led Hawaii Banking Association members in monetary collections with more than $11,600 collected.  They were followed by Territorial Savings Bank which raised more than $6,400. Food collection was also topped by Finance Factors with more than 6,000 pounds collected followed by Bank of Hawaii and First Hawaiian Bank.

“Despite all the community’s efforts to drive out hunger, the demand for food continues to outpace our ability to collect donations,” said Gary Y. Fujitani, executive director of the Hawaii Bankers Association

“Collectively, they [the banks] helped provide food for nearly 100,000 meals to islanders that need it most,” said Dick Grimm, president of the Hawaii Foodbank.

The Hawaii Bankers Association is a trade organization made up of local FDIC insured depository institutions, including American Savings Bank, Bank of Hawaii, Bank of the Orient, Central Pacific Bank, Finance Factors, First Hawaiian Bank, Hawaii National Bank, HomeStreet Bank, Ohana Pacific Bank, Pacific Rim Bank and Territorial Savings Bank.