From Dec. 1 – 12, Punahou students came together for a Supplemental Fall Food Drive addressing food insecurity during a time of ongoing economic uncertainty in Hawaiʻi. The initiative was led in large part by Vincent Saito ’26, Senior Class President, whose leadership helped transform a student idea into a campus-wide effort with meaningful community impact.
The drive grew out of a broader, student-led movement through the Hawaiʻi Student Council Association (HSCA), where Saito and Kenton Chan ’27 represent Punahou. As part of an interscholastic challenge among private schools, students collected essential staple foods including rice, pasta, canned proteins, soups and Spam to support families affected by disruptions to SNAP benefits.
On campus, Saito worked closely with the Luke Center for Public Service and Dani Goddard to coordinate logistics and ensure donations were thoughtfully directed. With guidance from Chef Hui, a Hawaiʻi-based collective focused on food security, and Mark Noguchi ’93, the team identified Papakōlea as a community that would most benefit from the drive, emphasizing intentional service over volume alone.
To mobilize the school community, Saito helped organize announcements across grades 6 – 12 and supported student outreach that encouraged participation across divisions. A friendly competition between the Academy and Junior School further increased engagement.
Throughout the drive, Saito played a hands-on role behind the scenes, collecting donations daily from six campus locations, sorting and boxing food at the Luke Center, and tracking item types and total weights for both HSCA and campus records. Support also extended beyond campus, as Saito’s grandfather contributed 500 pounds of rice, using his military discount to help provide a vital staple for families in need.
By the end of the drive, the Punahou community had donated 2,004.5 pounds of food, placing the school in the lead among participating HSCA schools. Reflecting on the experience, Saito shared, “Impact doesn’t require visibility. I may never see where that impact ultimately lands, or how it affects the community, but I have faith that contributing with care and ‘good service’ will help move the world in a better direction.”