Sacred Hearts School uses Rotary grant to provide lunches for students in need

Sacred Hearts School received a $15,000 grant in mid-November from the Hawaiʻi Rotary District 5000 Foundation Maui Fires Relief Fund to support the school lunch program for students in need. 

“The Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset was offered after school access to a classroom for our bi-monthly meetings,” said Katy Shroder, president of the Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset. “Principal Tonata Lolesio has been accommodating, each time the club outgrew its meeting location. To say thank you, our club gave the school a very nominal donation. Lolesio replied how thankful they were for the donation, which she planned to apply to their ‘lunch assistance fund.'”

According to Schroder, an inquiry found that there are at least 35 students for whom buying a lunch is a hardship, so the school has been attempting to build a fund to cover the cost of lunches for these students.

Sacred Hearts current location has neither kitchen nor cafeteria, and they have partnered with a food truck vendor, who himself, lost his modest restaurant in the fire.

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to Katy Shroder, President of the Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset, as well as the Rotary D5000 Foundation Board, for their support of our ‘Happy Lunch Assistance Campaign,'” said school principal Tonata Lolesio. “This initiative provides free or reduced-cost healthy lunches for our students and will be matched by a donor, Eternal Crystendom, to help us reach our $40,000 goal. Thanks to this generous grant of $15,000 we are making significant progress in supporting our school ʻohana and ensuring that every child enjoys a happy and healthy lunch from Lunch Manager, Juan Gomez of Penne Pasta.”

In Hawaiʻi, Rotary includes about 1,500 members spread across 45 clubs on Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island. As part of Rotary District 5000, these clubs are connected to a global network of 1.4 million Rotarians, who work together with local communities and leaders to make a difference both at home and around the world. Maui alone is home to eight Rotary Clubs.

To learn more about the Rotary, contact Maui Island Resource Chair Joanne Laird at mamalrd01@gmail.com.