Honolulu, HAWAII — More than 100 members of the Tagata Tutu Faatasi Alliance of American Samoa came out in droves, early Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020, not only to pick up food from a Free Food Drive sponsored by the Le Fetuao Samoan Language Center-Hawaii in partnership with the CCCAS Church, Gingerlei Porter and UH-TASI, and the Kaimuki Youth Development Organization — but also to fellowship and comfort each other.

This past weekend, American Samoa families celebrated White Sunday, a special Sunday in which Samoan families celebrate their young children with storytelling, dancing, new church clothes for the children and a great big feast. It is supposed to be a joyous occasion, but this year, it was marred by the fact that some of the parents could not be home with their children, or vice versa, as they have been stuck in the United States and around the world, since American Samoa closed its borders in March due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Most stranded residents in the US had no choice but to turn to Zoom and Facebook chat to connect with their families and children on White Sunday to watch their children perform their skits and songs during church programs and chat or laugh with them during their big feasts afterwards.

So, the Food Drive by the Le Fetuao on Saturday, was a welcome reprieve for the stranded residents in Honolulu to come together and "talk story” and to pick up some food for “To’ona’i" Sunday luncheon.

This is the second Food Drive by the Le Fetuao Samoan Language Center in Hawaii and it won't be the last, as confirmed by its founder and executive director, Mrs. Elisapeta T. Lesatele Alaimaleata. Partnered with Rev. Falelua Lafitaga of the CCCAS Kanana Fou Kunia Church and Gingerlei Porter Alaimaleata, they said, "Our food distribution is one activity we wanted to offer for so many years as a hands-on-youth-led project, so our center inpowers our youth with Samoan values of respect, caring for others and tautua to the community. With the COVID-19 virus right now, we thought of executing this service to assist our stranded residents from American Samoa to assist those stuck in the State of Hawaii."

Le Fetuao, a non-profit organization, has been serving the Hawaii Samoan community since 2008.

The Food Drive was held at the CCCAS church facility with donations and help from the KYDO, Hawaii Legal Clinic, Fukunaka Products, Ltd., Toa o Samoa-Hawaii Veterans, Lt. Governor Josh Green who donated masks, UH-TASI, Kiso Skelton, Alaimaleata family, Chantelle Matagi and Rex Lokeni Farm. These wonderful people and organizations donated fresh produce, canned food, meat, water, bread, snacks, disposable masks, PPE and $50 gift cards.

For those who were not able to make it to the Food Drive, Alaimaleata worked tirelessly with TTFAAS consultant, Kueni Aumoeualogo Hisatake, to make sure bags of food were delivered to the stranded residents, which also included medical patients at the Shriners Hospital. These patients were not only from American Samoa, but also from neighboring Samoa.

But their work does not end there — Alaimaleata and Hisatake along with the members of the TTFAAS in Honolulu will be holding a Wave in front of the ASG-Hawaii Office at 9 a.m Friday, Oct. 16.

TTFAAS is greatly indebted to the Le Fetuao Samoan Language Center staff and students, Rev. Falelua Lafitaga and CCCAS church members, Gingerlei Porter, Hawaii Lt. Gov. Josh Green, and everyone that is involved in the food drives, for all they have done, and continue to do, for our stranded residents in Honolulu.