JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- Over the past five months, more than 2,300 households have been fed 124,000 pounds of food thanks to Wahiawa Wednesdays, a local volunteer organization.
“We have volunteers from all of the bases in the area and all branches to make up about 250 volunteers,” said Tech Sgt. David Rafale Montanez, 613th Air and Space Operations Center noncommissioned officer in charge of quality assurance.
Montanez arrived on the island during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and was looking for ways to give back. His passion for community service comes from the relationship and impact he made with locals while deployed to Jordan.
Wahiawa Wednesdays original mission was to feed the homeless, but COVID-19 prompted them to widen their support to anyone in need.
After screening applicants, the amount of food distributed is based on the size of the family and sorted into care packages containing ingredients to make healthy meals.
“It feels so good to give back to the community,” said Montanez. “At the end of the day it is nice to know that we impacted someone in a positive way, and that we had a small part in helping out.
‘It is a good reflective image of the military, the community sees us and they recognize that we are there to help and support, work side by side with the community, and get to know them on a different level.”
Montanez and the rest of the volunteers work closely with Wahiawa Wednesdays by relaying the numbers and weight of the food distributed weekly making sure no food goes to waste.
“Community work brings good balance to those in the military service,” said Dr. Kahu Kaleo Patterson, Wahaiwa Wednesday’s coordinator. “I know how military life can be for military members and their families and I feel that our food outreach in many respects is a ministry to those who serve.”
Patterson, a Hawaiin native, grew up in a military family -- his father serving during the Korean War and Vietnam War, and understands the importance of giving back to the community.
“I am so appreciative of our military volunteers, I am always very grateful to meet our Air Force volunteers,” said Patterson.
For more information about future volunteer opportunities, please contact Tech Sgt. David Montanez at david.montanz.2@us.af.mil