Hospital Employees Pay it Forward with Thanksgiving Turkeys

Employees of the Maui Health System received turkeys for Thanksgiving, but many paid the gift forward by donating theirs to the Maui Food Bank.

“In Hawaiʻi especially, sharing food brings people together and giving turkeys is a symbol of appreciation to our Maui Health System ʻohana who ensure high-quality, affordable health care to our patients,” said Michael Rembis, Maui Health System CEO.

“American families consume 46 million turkeys on Thanksgiving – it’s a tradition, the centerpiece of most Thanksgiving meals, and a way to celebrate our blessings with family, friends and loved ones,” said Rembis.

The holidays are also a time to help those who are hungry in Maui County. Many staff members chose to donate their turkey to the Maui Food Bank, whose mission it is to help the hungry in Maui County by collecting and distributing food through community partnerships.

“Thanks to the generous donation of Maui Memorial Medical Center and Kula Hospital staff, over 300 families will have a turkey on their table this Thanksgiving,” said Richard Yust, Maui Food Bank Executive Director. “We rely on the generosity and Aloha spirit of our community partners to help us fulfill our mission to help the hungry.”

The Maui Food Bank serves 10,000 people a month who are food insecure. This includes the working poor, children and youth, seniors, the homeless, anyone who is at risk of going hungry.

Maui Health System is the Kaiser Permanente affiliate that recently took over management of the Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital, and Lāna‘i Community Hospital.

Maui Food Bank Director of Operations Keith Wright receives turkey donations from Maui Health System CEO Michael Rembis.

Staff from VIP Maui and Maui Food Bank help unload the donated turkeys at Maui Food Bank.

Maui Food Bank. File photo by Wendy Osher.

Maui Food Bank. Photo by Wendy Osher.