County committee backs $14,805 grant to launch ‘master food volunteer’ pilot with UH CTAHR

The Hawaii County Committee on Finance voted 8–0 on May 20 to forward Resolution 180‑25 to the full council with a favorable recommendation, authorizing the mayor to enter an agreement with the University of Hawaii Office of Research Services to provide a $14,805 grant to the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) to develop a “master food volunteer” program.

The pilot is designed to train roughly 10 volunteers in its first year to deliver community food and nutrition education—cooking demonstrations, in‑school curriculum and outreach—to increase demand for locally grown food and build volunteer capacity for local food access programs. County staff said the grant will primarily fund development of the curriculum, training materials and the inaugural cohort; CTAHR and project partners are expected to provide matching funds and in‑kind support.

Why it matters: County staff and CTAHR representatives said the program aims to support local food security and help local producers by teaching residents how to prepare and use Hawaii‑grown products. Committee members described the investment as a small, pilot‑stage subsidy intended to produce a replicable program that could scale without ongoing county funding.

What the committee heard: Sarah Freeman, economic development specialist in food systems with the county, described the program as “aimed to be similar to the master gardener program where folks go through a training program and then are able to provide volunteer services,” and said the pilot would train about 10 volunteers in its first cohort. Marielle Hampton, introduced as an extension agent with CTAHR, told the committee the university already partners on food‑education programs and expects to cobble together multiple funding sources and partnerships (for example, Food Basket and Kokua Harvest) to provide ingredients and sites for volunteer service.

Program details and timeline: Staff said recruitment would begin in November, training would run about two months starting in January or February, followed by a service internship with local partners. The total project budget cited during discussion was $29,610; the county contribution is roughly half (about $14,805). Committee members were told participation will be free for volunteers and that CTAHR expects the project to be self‑sustaining beyond the pilot year.

Committee action and next steps: Councilmember Kerkowitz moved and Councilmember Inaba seconded the motion to forward the resolution to the full council; the Finance Committee vote was recorded as eight in favor with Councilmember Kimball excused. Staff said the county’s role in this resolution is to enter an intergovernmental agreement with UH and provide partial funding; any future funding needs would be determined later if expansions are proposed.

Looking ahead: Staff and CTAHR staff emphasized the pilot nature of the project and said they do not anticipate an ongoing county subsidy for the standard program after the pilot, though they may seek other funding sources if the program expands.