MacNaughton Foundation Grantee Spotlight: Kupu’s Culinary Program to Expand Support
Kupu’s Culinary Program to Expand Support to Help West Side Families Affected by COVID-19
Grant to Kupu’s program provided by The MacNaughton Foundation will provide 200 additional nutritious meals each day
Kupu today announced that they have received a $50,000 grant from The MacNaughton Group Foundation to help increase efforts to feed people most affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The grant will boost Kupu's efforts to feed families in Hawaiʻi while supplementing the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education’s (HIDOE) program and expanding the reach of the food distribution from the Windward side to also include the west side of Oʻahu.
The Kupu Culinary program housed at the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Hoʻokupu Center in Kewalo Basin has mobilized its resources to prepare and deliver meals to the most vulnerable families on Oʻahu, providing 800 meals every day. With the additional support from The MacNaughton Group Foundation grant, Kupu will be able to expand its efforts to include an additional 200 meals each day, five days per week, for the next two months, to families in West Oʻahu.
“Unemployment and the continued COVID-19 crisis have put many people at risk of hunger and malnutrition. We’re grateful for any and all support we receive that allow us to continue our goals of providing healthy meals for individuals and families in need during these challenging times,” said John Leong, Kupu’s chief executive officer. “The MacNaughton Group Foundation’s donation – put to good use in the state-of-the-art commercial kitchen that MacNaughton’s earlier contribution to our Hoʻokupu Center capital campaign made possible – will help us broaden our support for the communities most affected in this critical moment, while simultaneously providing culinary training opportunities to our program participants."
"The current COVID-19 crisis requires immediate action to ensure the availability of nutritious food to our community members who are most in need," said Emily Porter, vice president of The MacNaughton Group Foundation, chief operating officer of The MacNaughton Group, and member of Kupu’s Executive Advisory Council. "We appreciate the opportunity to bring together multiple organizations to support our neighbors in need."
Kupu will be teaming up with the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii (BGCH) to distribute the meals in the Waianae and neighboring areas. “Mahalo to Kupu and The MacNaughton Group for including us in this creative and synergistic collaboration,” said Walter Guild, chair of the Board of BGCH. “Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii is committed to helping the youth in our programs and their families , especially our youth from underserved communities who are being hit the hardest, by having our clubs serve as distribution centers,” said Paddy Kauhane, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii.
Kupu works to empower opportunity youth to serve their communities through character-building, service-learning, and environmental stewardship opportunities. The organization offers a three-part program including hands-on learning followed by HiSET high school equivalency classes, and for the most diligent participants, internship opportunities.
Kupu recently launched the Kupu Culinary Program which was fully realized by a grant from The MacNaughton Group Foundation for the construction of the Kupu commercial kitchen. The culinary program is a robust curriculum in which individuals receive real-world job experience, engage in personal development workshops and receive the opportunity to participate in cultural activities.
Kupu asks for everyone's kokua so it can keep providing free meals to families in desperate need. All donations collected through this drive will be directed to support Kupu's culinary team and their efforts to feed families and keep Hawaiʻi’s communities strong. A donation of $5 will feed one person in need. To donate to Kupu’s COVID-19 efforts, visit https://www.kupuhawaii.org/covid-19-response/.