DIALOGUE BY Karleen Chinen
Commentary
Many years ago, I met a kind-hearted man named Brett Schlemmer who worked for the Hawai‘i Foodbank. I think he worked in donor relations, although I don’t remember his title. Something he said during an orientation session on the Hawaii Foodbank impacted me profoundly.
Sad as it is, Brett said, a homeless person can probably find shelter for the night by ducking under the eave of a building. But someone who has nothing to eat and must make it through the night and who knows how long on an empty stomach is sad — and especially sad and critical when the person with the empty stomach is a child. He said many children go hungry when school is not in session and free or reduced school lunches and breakfasts are not available to them.
