A Molokai family picked up the tab for 15 Holiday Food Boxes distributed Tuesday, Nov. 23, to 15 families in Maui Economic Opportunity’s Head Start preschool program in Kaunakakai.
MEO usually purchases the Holiday Boxes from the Maui Food Bank for Molokai Head Start families, but this year Greg Kahn and the Kahn Family Fund paid for the boxes. The Thanksgiving boxes would have cost MEO about $300.
The agency has been using Visitor Industry Charity Walk funds to pay for the Holiday Boxes. The generosity of the Kahn family means those discretionary funds can be used for other needs. This year, MEO garnered $65,900 from the virtual Charity Walk, sponsored by the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association.
The boxes contained ham, veggies, mashed potatoes and all the fixings for a Thanksgiving meal.
“The Head Start parents love and appreciate it very much,” said Yolanda Reyes, MEO Molokai Branch Manager.
Head Start is a federally funded, national program targeting low income families that promotes school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through education, health, nutrition, social and other services to eligible children and their families.
*About Maui Economic Opportunity*
Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc., is a nonprofit agency that’s part of the national Community Action Partnership network, whose goal is to help low income individuals and families and disenfranchised people help themselves and transform their lives. Chartered in 1965, MEO offers more than 40 programs that assist low income people, kupuna, youths, persons with disabilities, immigrants and other disenfranchised individuals. MEO runs the Human Services transportation program and the Maui Bus paratransit system and Head Start preschools, as well as programs that offer kupuna socialization and information; rent, mortgage and utility assistance; Spanish interpretation and translation; entrepreneurial and financial basics; inmate reintegration into the community after release; and youth anti-drinking, -bullying and -suicide prevention. For more information about the entire array of programs, visit www.meoinc.org or call (808) 249-2990.
