Food Safety-net for Okinawa

"Yumaru" is a phrase used in Okinawa that means to help each other. From the start of this project we have tried to incorporate this concept in our work. In our first letter to recipients in July we asked people to make a donation to our local partner, Food Bank Second Harvest Okinawa. To date more than 160 peope have donated over ¥200,000. In October we asked people to answer two questions on a pre-paid postcard addressed to Governor Denny Tamiki of Okinawa: "1) What does a food safety-net mean to you?" and "2) What can you do you to help create this food safety-net?" The answers were moving and when we shared them with volunteers they had a better understanding of those coming to receive food. We repeated this again November and December with different questions. 

Our biggest "achievement" happened in November and December. We did someting no other pantry has probably every done. We realized we did not have food to serve all 2,500 families. The food drive conducted by the US Air Force Base was helpful, but would come up short. We decided to ask our recipients to bring a canned good to the next pickup. Because each person registers in advance they have an opportunity to prepare something. We only expected abotu 50% to bring something. We were amazed to see at some distribution points (we had five) that 80% brought something. But more than than that it was demonstrating to young kids what the concept of "yuimaru." One young girl asked why she was putting can in the collection box. When we explained she was going to help another family the girl immediaely looked up at her mother and exclaimed, "Momma, you are so kind." That was a priceless moment for that parent. 

We distributed 10,000 packages which served about 35,000 people. It was a very challenging six months as we had no local warehouse space and had to ship the majority of the food we distributed from Tokyo. 

We have committed to continue this project through August 2021.

Links:

• Usagami Project