Thursday mornings are particularly busy and rewarding for the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College’s culinary arts program purchasing class. Instructor Natasha Joslin and her seven students, along with some campus and community volunteers, pack up 200 boxes of local produce that are distributed later in the day to UH Maui College students and community members affected by the August wildfires.
As part of this relief effort, UHMC culinary students will prepare 1,800-2,500 meals daily to feed Maui residents who have transitioned from emergency shelters to hotels and other temporary housing situations. The number of meals and residents served will adjust based on changing needs. For their time, UHMC culinary students will receive $16 an hour, a $1,459 Education Award provided by AmeriCorps, and access to health care benefits.