My name is Lori Kapu and I have had the distinct pleasure of working for Care and Share for almost 25 years. What brought me to Care and Share so many years ago? The children! I grew up in a proud family where both of my parents worked but fell short most months, which meant we often did not have enough money for food. As a child I was powerless to do anything to help my family.

Over the years I have seen many changes here at Care and Share, from staff, physical location, pounds distributed and programs. When I first started at Care and Share we distributed less than 1 million pounds of food and we did not operate any programs. In 1994, I was given the opportunity to start our first Healthy Kids Club, formerly Kids Café, and the Send Hunger Packing Program. I wasn’t able to help my family, but finally I could help many children and their families through my work.

Care and Share operates the Send Hunger Packing Program, sending a backpack home with a child every Friday with enough food to feed a family of three for the weekend. The child brings the backpack back on Monday and the cycle continues each week until the family is on their feet. There are 800 families each week that benefit from this program. As I sit here and write this I am in awe of where we came from and where we are at today. Also, the Healthy Kids Club Program provides a hearty snack after school to at risk children. In the summer, when children are out of school, a meal and snack are provided when school lunches are not available. Care and Share reaches approximately 1,000 kids each week through this program.

So you see, although this is my job, Care and Share has done so much for me over the years. Allowing me to help hard working families that struggle every day and to move past the struggles and memories I faced as a child.

With Warm Regards to a Giving Community,

Lori Kapu
Care and Share Food Bank
Chief Operating Officer