Hawaiʻi food banks report canceled shipments and frozen funds amid federal cuts

In Kona on Hawaiʻi Island, David Haʻalilio Jr. opens an emergency food box on a shelf at one of The Food Basket's service locations.

Inside is food meant for a two-person household.

“It will consist of anything from vegetables to ready-meals, juice, tea, cereal — everything to make a nice meal,” he said.

These boxes are designed to get Kona residents through a lean day, and a good portion of the food they contain comes directly from the federal government.

“The food that comes in the box is through TEFAP or USDA, that is food received from the government, the federal government,” Haʻalilio said.

TEFAP, or The Emergency Food Assistance Program, is a low-income program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service.

It's one of the many ways the federal government supports Hawaiʻi's food banks, but there's a risk of that support drying up under the Trump administration. Some of that support has already stopped or has been at least put on pause.