Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Theresa Gualdarama | Hawaii Army National Guard Soldiers distribute meals on the island of Maui in support...... read more read more
Subscribe
As the State of Hawaii looks to the Hawaii National Guard to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus and assist its civil authorities in keeping its citizens safe, the Guard confronted its own challenge of sustaining the rapid activation and deployment of hundreds of troops on neighbor islands. They reached out to local businesses who could support the monumental task of providing lodging so they could isolate as much as possible, as well as provide daily meals.
Thanks to local businesses that registered or were contracted through the Systems for Awards Management (SAM), the Guard has been overwhelmingly humbled during this historic pandemic by the support from local business to help it take care of its Soldiers and Airmen.
“We are honored to serve the people of Hawaii in this difficult time,” said Brig. Gen. Moses Kaoiwi, Jr., Joint Task Force Commander of the Hawaii National Guard. “We are grateful for the support and aloha the community has shown us.”
In late June, the Guard surpassed 80 days of mitigating COVID-19 threats to the community, the sequestering task forces were able to build a positive rapport with the community to include its local hospitality establishments.
“The Grand Naniloa Resort kept operating in large part to the presence of the National Guard,” said Ed Gunderson, general manager of the Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo. “Without [the Guard], the outcome would certainly have been different for [our] associates and managers currently employed.”
At the height of the outbreak, the isolated accommodations brought relief to Soldiers and Airmen working the frontlines because they were not putting their own family’s health in jeopardy. With Hawaii entering its reopening phase, the Guard has right-sized its forces across all islands, therefore fewer will need to sequester in hotels.
“Hosting the Hawaii National Guard during this time has been great for owners, staff, and management,” said Sara LeBrun-Scott, director of sales and marketing with Sheraton Kona Resort and Spa at Keauhou Bay. “The Soldiers are so very kind and great guests to have.”
In addition to working with hotels, finding food vendors and restaurants that were still open and could support meals for 1,200 Soldiers and Airmen was also a challenge due to the state’s “stay-at-home-policy,” and the 14-day quarantine order in place to mitigate the spread of the virus.
“We could not have predicted the consequences of this coronavirus, as this is history in-the-making,” said Jennifer Torcato of Big Island Grill in Kona, Hawaii. “As a family business, we had our own family members come in to help wherever and whenever they could—we just wanted to be able to keep the business afloat and alive.”
“We provide daily meals in the hot box and wheeled over, as well as healthy meal plans,” said Chad Yang, managing director of Hula Hulas in Hilo, Hawaii. The restaurant provides three meals a day; breakfast, lunch, and dinner, seven days a week to troops. “It was a blessing as I was able to save my business as well as call back to work 50% of the staff.”
Hula Hula’s and Big Island Grill are some of many restaurants in the state that the Guard has partnered with through SAM’s.
“It’s been pleasant to work with the various soldiers that we encounter and see every day at meal pick-ups or drop-offs,” said Torcato. “Serving the Soldiers and Airmen has been a great privilege and we appreciate all the work they are doing for our local community.”
Through its contract vendors, Hawaii National Guard has been able to provide more than 500 rooms and over 150,000 meals to sequestering Soldiers and Airmen spanning six islands. Some of the support the Guard has performed as of late June includes, but is not limited to; having swabbed 2,368 patients for COVID-19, temperature screened 189,431 airport passengers, airlifted 200,000 masks and completed countless hours of food distribution support.
“Emergency preparedness and immediate response are services we are prepared to provide to the citizens of the State of Hawaii” said Command Sgt. Maj. James R. Jimenez, Joint Task Force Command Sgt. Maj. of the Hawaii National Guard. “When called upon, the Hawaii National Guard takes great pride in providing these critical services to our communities, this couldn’t be done without the support of our local businesses.”
The Hawaii National Guard is honored to have the support of local community businesses and is grateful for the Aloha it has received.
| Date Taken: | 06.30.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 07.09.2020 20:44 |
| Story ID: | 373661 |
| Location: | HONOLULU, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 143 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Hawaii National Guard, Local Businesses in it Together, by 1LT Anyah Peatross, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT