An ongoing initiative between Chick-fil-A restaurants in Hawaiʻi and nonprofit Aloha Harvest is simultaneously helping to divert thousands of pounds of foods from landfills, while making meals for community members in need.
The Chick-fil-A Shared Table program, which is part of the food chain’s corporate social responsibility strategy, has equipped Owner-Operators to donate surplus food to charitable organizations in their community since 2012. To date, 50 million meals have been created across the country by more than 2,700 restaurants.
The program launched in the Islands in fall 2022, ahead of the first Chick-fil-A restaurant opening on Oʻahu in Ala Moana Center’s Makai Market Food Court.
“It was as easy as a phone call, but it’s not every day you get a call like that,” Aloha Harvest Executive Director Mele Pepa Latu told Aloha State Daily. “They wanted to learn more about what Aloha Harvest does, what our needs were and how they could help. I just remember excitement around it and what it meant to the team.”
“And several years and stores later, they still show up in different ways, whether that’s food or monetarily or volunteering,” she continued. “It’s just like one big family, and in Hawaiʻi, family is everything, and I think food is right up there, too.”
As of July, Chick-fil-A restaurants in Hawaiʻi have helped divert 70,251 pounds of food from landfills, while creating 64,505 meals from surplus food, according to the company. Latu estimates that each Chick-fil-A location donates on average 100 to 300 pounds per week, or 1,099 pounds of food combined in total.
Aloha Harvest drivers pick up surplus food from all participating Chick-fil-A restaurants, among other donors, and deliver the food for it to be repurposed and consumed that same day, according to Latu. For Chick-fil-A, the food donated Monday through Friday benefits nonprofit Kāpili Like and St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church.
There can be up to 80 food donors per day, seven days a week, she said, adding, “It’s a big logistical puzzle, but we have it down to a T and can still fit in on-call donations.” Aloha Harvest has nearly 20 staff and over 1,000 volunteers.
Established in 1999, the nonprofit has redistributed more than 46 million pounds of food altogether.
For Chick-fil-A Kamokila Owner-Operator Nick Lovan, partnering with Aloha Harvest has been a blessing. His role is to ensure that the donated food is safe before it goes out.
“There’s no secret that Chick-fil-A has a very high standard when it comes to food safety… So anytime we have a surplus, we have to make sure that it gets to a certain temperature within a certain amount of time. That’s something all my leads are trained on. Chick-fil-A helped teach us this process when we first opened.”
Chick-fil-A Kamokila will celebrate its one-year anniversary this Thursday with a community event.
When asked what Lovan prioritized in the first year, he said, “continuing to know guests and serve them better.”
He’s also spent time investing in his 80 staff members, who primarily live on the west side, he noted. Through a partnership with Cumberland University, 10 employees will get online college classes and book materials for free, he said.
As a leader, Lovan hopes to continue making a positive influence on the community and those he serves with.
“I hope our relationship continues to grow with Aloha Harvest. I’m very excited for the future.”
Latu is also hopeful for the future — Aloha Harvest recently surpassed its fundraising goal of $120,000 at its Fuel the Rescue Gala to invest in a new refrigerated truck, which will join its fleet of trucks and vans distributing food around the island.
When asked what this will allow the organization to accomplish, she said that though it will take six months to a year to build, “it is going to allow us to increase the amount of food we pick up and our capacity.”
“I’m learning to have grace with myself, ask for help and lean on my team,” Latu said. “I am thankful that Chick-fil-A found Aloha Harvest, and that it is committed to helping our neighbors in need.”
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
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