Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Honolulu committee hears briefing on kupuna food programs, funding and coordination needs
Summary
The City committee received an informational briefing from the Department of Community Services Elderly Affairs Division and providers (YMCA of Honolulu, Lanakila Pacific) on kupuna nutrition programs, service scale, eligibility limits and looming funding gaps; council members pressed for funding strategies and better coordination to reduce waste.
At 1:02 p.m., the Committee on Energy, Environment and Sustainability held an informational briefing on kupuna (older adult) food access with presentations from the Department of Community Services Elderly Affairs Division (EAD), the YMCA of Honolulu, and Lanakila Pacific.
Derek Ariyoshi, administrator of the Department of Community Services Elderly Affairs Division, framed the briefing around three goals: present community context for kupuna nutrition needs, explain how existing meal programs support health and independence, and share system-level observations from providers. "It is said that a village without kupuna is like a well without water," Ariyoshi said, arguing that nutrition programs help keep older residents healthy and allow them to age in place. He summarized demographic and need indicators he said EAD is tracking on Oahu, noting "Kupuna make up close to a quarter of our total population," and that many face financial, social and health challenges.
Ariyoshi described two EAD-administered nutrition programs:…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
