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<p>A throwback to the early days of our Kupuna and Family Meals! We've come a long way thanks to the support of the Touch A Heart community.</p>
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<p>First and foremost, we thank you— our Touch A Heart community—for the outpouring of support that has brought us to this day—the second anniversary of our Kupuna and Family Meals.
As we reflect on this time nearly two years ago to this date, we remember a world full of uncertainty as COVID-19 had been declared a pandemic and Hawaii's first shutdown was about to go into effect. Touch A Heart Catering was at a standstill as events were being canceled or postponed, and our recent graduates who had just found jobs would soon be laid off. Our team came together and developed Kupuna and Family Meals in an effort to retain our staff, hire our graduates, and provide our community with safe, convenient and affordable meals.
We were most concerned about our kupuna, or elders, who are particularly vulnerable, and we continue to care for and prioritize them. Thanks to many of you spreading the word, we've grown to also serve working professionals and other nonprofit organizations, like Ronald McDonald House Charities of Hawaii.
Without your patronage for the past two years, it's very likely that Touch A Heart wouldn't exist today. But you helped to create a different path for us. Believe it or not, our first Kupuna and Family Meals menu featured a 5-meal set and we had about 90 orders, and there were no a la carte items and only Baker's Heart Cookies were available. We now average 210 3-meal sets, 40 a la carte orders and 130 desserts every week. We also have volunteers who deliver meals to homebound seniors. To date, we've sold/donated over 20,000 meal sets. Your support has also enabled us to train and graduate 27 interns from our foodservice vocational training program since 2020.
Today is a day of celebration of all that we've accomplished together and the bright future ahead. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to everyone who has played a role in helping us reach this milestone—staff, apprentices, graduates, volunteers, customers, donors, and partners. We look forward to continuing to improve and grow and are excited to have you on this journey with us.</p>