Hui! ʻO Alexis Zafereo koʻu inoa, a ʻo wau kahi meaʻai meaʻai ma ke Kulanui o Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). No koʻu hoʻololi ʻana i ke kaiāulu, ua hauʻoli wau i ka hoʻopau ʻana i kaʻu mau hola ma Galveston County Food Bank no ka huina o 5 mau pule i ʻOkakopa o 2023 - Kekemapa 2023. I koʻu manawa a pau ma ka waihona meaʻai, ua hāʻawi ʻia iaʻu ka manawa e aʻo ai i ka kaiaulu ma o nā papahana he nui, ka hana ʻana i nā puke liʻiliʻi, nā mea kūʻai aku, ka launa pū ʻana me nā hui ʻē aʻe, a pēlā aku. ʻO ka lilo ʻana i ʻāpana o ka hui meaʻai he mea ʻike maka i aʻo mai iaʻu i nā mea hou aʻe.                                                                            

ʻO kaʻu pule mua ma GCFB ʻo ia ka pule hope o ʻOkakopa, no laila ua komo wau i kahi meaʻai. Ke hoʻomākaukau nei ka ʻoihana meaʻai no ka hanana hale kūʻai hauʻoli o ka waihona meaʻai i hoʻonohonoho ʻia i kēlā hopena pule e hiki mai ana e kōkua i ka loaʻa kālā no ka hui. He kuleana koʻikoʻi ka poʻe a pau ma ka waihona meaʻai i ka holomua o ka hale kūʻai haunted, a e kūʻai aku ana ka hui meaʻai i ka meaʻai i kahi 300 mau kānaka.

I ka manawa like, ua hoʻokumu ka panakō meaʻai i ka hui pū ʻana me St. Vincents, Mom's Farm to Table, a me Farmacy e kōkua i ka hoʻolaha ʻana i ka hoʻohana ʻana i ka pōmaikaʻi Snap a hoʻolaha i ka ʻike no ka palekana o ka meaʻai e kū nei ma Galveston, TX. I ka wā huakaʻi e ʻimi ana ka hui i nā manawa e hoʻolaha ai i ka waihona meaʻai ma ke ʻano he kumuwaiwai a kōkua i ka hoʻolaha ʻana i ka ʻike.

I ka pule ʻelua, ua hiki iaʻu ke ʻike mua i kekahi o nā papahana hale kūʻai kihi olakino a GCFB e hana nei. ʻO ke kumu ka loaʻa ʻana o nā hua hou i nā kaiāulu e noho ana ma kahi wao nahele meaʻai. Hoʻopili ka hui me ka mea nona ka hale kūʻai a kōkua i ka hoʻonohonoho ʻana i nā wahi e hiki ai ke kūʻai aku a kūʻai aku i nā huahana. I koʻu hele ʻana, hiki iaʻu ke nānā a ʻimi i nā wahi e hoʻomaikaʻi ai. Ma hope o kēia pule ua kipa mākou iā Seeding Texas a kōkua i nā limahana i ke kanu hou ʻana i kā lākou mau mea kanu a me ka ʻohi ʻana i nā mea kanu ʻaʻole i ke kau.

I ke kolu o ka pule, ua hāʻawi mākou i ka palapala hoʻonaʻauao Diabetes i ka wā o ka hāʻawi kelepona ʻana o ka waihona meaʻai ma Hitchcock TX. ʻO kēia palapala hāʻawi e kōkua i ka poʻe me ka maʻi maʻi diabetes e mālama i ko lākou pae glucose koko. He mea maʻemaʻe kēia no ka mea ua hiki iā mākou ke hele a hoʻonaʻauao i nā poʻe he nui aʻe ma mua o kaʻu i manaʻo ai, a oiai lākou e kali wale ana ma ka laina i loko o kā lākou mau kaʻa, hiki iā mākou ke hoʻokipa iki iā lākou. Noi mai kekahi i kope hou no ka hoahanau ma ka home. He manawa kūpono e hana i nā mea he nui i ka manawa hoʻokahi no ke kaiāulu.

No kaʻu pule ʻehā, ua hoʻomākaukau mākou me ka hui meaʻai no ka Moody Mansion International Day Fair. Ua kūʻai mākou i nā meaʻai a me nā lako no ka hanana, i kuke ʻia i ka nui, i paʻi ʻia i nā kāleka meaʻai, a ua loaʻa iā mākou nā ʻāpana ʻokoʻa e aʻo ai i nā keiki pehea e hoʻomaʻemaʻe ai i kā lākou huahana me ka hāʻawi ʻana i kahi hoʻonaʻauao i kā lākou kahu.

ʻO ka hope loa, i koʻu pule hope loa ua hiki iaʻu ke hele i kahi papa ma The Huntington, ke kula kiʻekiʻe, kahi i hoʻolako ai ke keʻena meaʻai i ka hoʻonaʻauao "Eat Healthy, Be Active" a mālama i kahi demo kuke. I kēia huakaʻi, ua hiki iaʻu ke hana i ka demo kuke no ka papa. He manawa kūpono kēia iaʻu e ʻike ai, ʻoiai i koʻu wā ma ʻaneʻi ua hiki iaʻu ke hāʻawi nui aku ma hope o nā hiʻohiʻona ma o ka hoʻomākaukau ʻana, ke ana ʻana, ke paʻi ʻana i nā ʻeke, a me ka hana ʻana i nā mea pono no ka papa. I kēia manawa ua hiki iaʻu ke ʻike i ka hāʻule ʻana a hui pū ʻia.

ʻO ka hana ʻana me ke kaiāulu he mea maikaʻi loa ia a ua hauʻoli nui wau. Ua hauʻoli ka ʻike ʻana i ka hopena kiʻekiʻe o ke kuleana o ka meaʻai i ke kaiāulu a me ka hopena e hiki ke hana ʻia ma o ka hoʻonaʻauao ʻana i ke kaiāulu. ʻO ka hapa nui o ka poʻe a mākou i hāʻawi ai i ka ʻike, ua ʻoluʻolu loa i nā mea a mākou e hāʻawi nei, a he mea maikaʻi loa ka ʻike ʻana i ka poʻe e mahalo i ko lākou kūlana olakino. Hāʻawi ka panakō meaʻai iaʻu i wahi e noʻonoʻo ai me ka meaʻai a me kahi ʻōnaehana kākoʻo nui. He mea kupanaha kaʻu i manaʻo e hui hou i kekahi lā.