Hawai‘i Gets $1.18 M Federal Reimbursement for Emergency Pandemic Feeding Program

The Hawai‘i Department of Human Services will receive $1,188,723.75 in federal funding to cover the cost of meals provided to individuals who tested positive for COVID-19, those who have been exposed but do not require hospitalization, and high risk individuals over the age of 65 with underlying health conditions.

During the pandemic, the Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority established an emergency feeding program to prepare and deliver more than 400,000 meals to more than 30,000 vulnerable community members.

This federal grant, which comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, reimburses the state for the costs of running this program in the month of October 2020 — helping save the state nearly $1.2 million.

US Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) who serves as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee made the funding announced today. He said, “This federal funding will help pay back the cost of the meals provided to the most vulnerable in our community and save our state some money. No one should go hungry during a public health emergency, so we’ll keep working to bring home more federal dollars to help Hawai‘i families put food on the table.”