Donation helps address food security in Maui county during pandemic
The ongoing pandemic has affected many around the world, including Maui—a community we’re deeply connected with.
Since becoming title sponsor of The Sentry, we’ve spent significant time on the island building relationships with local organizations, talking with local leaders about areas of need, and becoming a part of the Maui community.
As a result of those conversations, we discovered the essential need for food security on island. To help address the need, we donated $250,000 to the Maui Food Bank in January of 2021.
The Maui Food Bank is the county’s primary safety net for hunger relief. It currently serves more than 10,000 people each week with emergency food distributions.
“Supporting basic human needs, like food and basic necessities, and improving quality of life are vital causes Sentry is committed to supporting on Maui,” said Kalynn Pempek, executive director of the Sentry Insurance Foundation. “This donation will help the Maui Food Bank continue to support the local community with safe and nutritious foods and help those who suffer from hunger.”
While the Maui Food Bank directly serves members of the community, it also supports local businesses by purchasing food from local farmers, markets, bakeries, and other businesses.
“We’re currently experiencing an extremely high unemployment rate in Maui and the surrounding areas, which in turn leads to many residents needing meal support,” said Richard Yust, executive director of the Maui Food Bank. “We couldn’t be more grateful for Sentry’s donation as it will help us continue to sustain our community through these challenging times.”
