In support of World Hunger Day, Bayer Hawaii donated more than 2,700 pounds of food to the Institute for Human Services (IHS), Maui Food Bank and Molokai Salvation Army on Thursday, May 27. 

“Making a positive impact by giving back to our island communities has always been a priority for Bayer Hawaii. And with so many of our neighbors currently struggling in the wake of the pandemic, the need to improve Hawaii’s food sustainability has never been greater,” said Alan Takemoto, community affairs lead at Bayer Hawaii “Mahalo to our employees across Oahu, Maui and Molokai for their generous contributions.”

Bayer Hawaii launched a month-long food drive across all of its farm sites on Oahu, Maui and Molokai to encourage their nearly 600 employees to donate canned and nonperishable packaged goods. Through generous donations, Bayer was able to donate 1,500 pounds of food to IHS on Oahu, 1,049 pounds of food to the Maui Food Bank and 250 pounds of food to the Molokai Salvation Army. 

As part of its veggie seed program to help improve Hawaii's food sustainability, Bayer Hawaii recently donated 100 veggie seed packets, featuring broccoli, onion, tomato and bell pepper, to the IHS Hale Mauliola housing navigation center located at Sand Island. The seeds will be used to help support the shelter’s agricultural initiatives and garden to table program. 

"Bayer has been a supporter of IHS for many years and is a wonderful partner in our efforts to end homelessness and food insecurity,“ said Connie Mitchell, executive director of IHS. "Their donation of seed packets is inspiring the guests at our Hale Mauliola Housing Navigation Shelter to experience the joy of growing their own fresh vegetables and herbs! Through this experience, they're learning to cultivate their own food for a lifetime of healthy and affordable eating."

Since 2011, World Hunger Day has aimed to highlight the importance of access to education, healthcare and technology in ending world hunger. According to The Hunger Project, an estimated 820 million people in the world don’t have enough food to eat. In Hawaii, 159,040 people, including 55,710 children are struggling with hunger. World Hunger Day is celebrated on May 28, 2021.