Congresswoman Jill Tokuda took on an itinerary that included Social Security to school supplies on Saturday.
“We’re here to talk about the 90th anniversary of Social Security,” said Kealii Lopez, the AARP Hawaii State director. “Our Kauai AARP volunteers did a great job responding so we brought over some of our Honolulu staff to help.”
Tokuda was originally booked to Kauai to deliver a few words before the guest star, Augie T, did his comedy show ahead of another free performance at the Kauai Community College Performing Arts Center.
According to her Honolulu staff, Tokuda’s trip was added to as the Kauai County Farm Bureau General Membership Meeting had Tokuda talking about the cut in SNAP benefits and how that impacted farmers by eliminating opportunities to provide for the SNAP program.
The farm bureau also had Tokuda judging its dessert contest along with guest judges Chef Steven Nakata of Kauai Community College, Dean of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Parwinder Grewal, and House Speaker Nadine Nakamura.
While there, Tokuda, Nakamura and Grewal had the honor of congratulating the recipients of the 2025 Kauai County Farm Bureau scholarships that included Lyla Nakayama receiving the Farm Family scholarship; Kilinoe Oliveira and Laulea Miike (not present) getting the Undergraduate-Agricultural scholarships; and Aysha Berry, who just earned the Kapaia Foundation Scholarship, earning the High School-Agricultural scholarship.
Tokuda told the farm bureau she really wanted to visit some farms, and even help the farmers with some of the work.
That could not happen on this trip so Tokuda settled for a quick tour of the Grove Farm Market before touching down at the KCC Performing Arts Center.
Earlier, the congresswoman opened her Kauai tour with a stop at the Back to School Bash taking place at the Kukui Grove Shopping Center where 2,500 backpacks of school supplies were distributed to elementary, middle and high school students.
Tokuda got to roll up her sleeves and go hands-on in distributing backpacks and also speaking with vendors who had educational exhibits and activities set up throughout the shopping center, including the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School student who hosted a remote-controlled robotics car obstacle course.
The Back to School Bash was coordinated through the four-way collaboration and cooperation of Capt. Andy’s, Hawaii Foodservice Alliance, Blue Dolphin Charters and the Sheraton Kauai Resort.
By: Dennis Fujimoto
Source: The Garden Island