KĀNEʻOHE —  This November, Hawai‘i public school cafeterias added a special Thanksgiving treat to their traditional turkey lunch — a slice of freshly baked pumpkin pie served alongside roast turkey with gravy, whipped potatoes, fresh fruits and vegetables and a whole wheat roll.

On the Windward side of Oʻahu, King Intermediate and ʻĀhuimanu Elementary students were especially thankful for the festive, homemade pie.

“My favorite part of today’s lunch was the pumpkin pie,” said ʻĀhuimanu Elementary third-grader Emily Tamanaha. “It really was good, so I ate it really fast. And the pumpkin was really savory, and the crust was a little bit crispy.” 

Eighth-grader, Nixon Crawford at King Intermediate agreed. “My favorite part of the lunch was probably the pumpkin pie because we never usually have it,” he said. “It was sweet, crunchy at the bottom, and the pumpkin, it actually tastes like a pumpkin pie, not like store-bought.” 

King Intermediate baker Hilina‘i Ka‘ahu and cook Mahealani Phillips were grateful to serve the pre-Thanksgiving meal to the students at school knowing that not all students have access to a traditional holiday meal at home. Their cafeteria regularly prepares meals for both King Intermediate and ʻĀhuimanu Elementary students.

“You know, times are rough, so even when we serve them pre-Thanksgiving, they’re grateful,” said Phillips. “And they’re like, ‘Oh, you know, we don’t know if we’re going to have Thanksgiving.’ or ‘Oh, we’re probably not going to have pie.’” 

“At least we can give it to them here, and they can say, ‘We had Thanksgiving at school’,” added Kaʻahu.

The gratitude extended both ways, with many students expressing appreciation for their school meals. “I’m really thankful for all the food that the lunch ladies give us,” said ʻĀhuimanu Elementary third-grader Lolawren Vierra.

Schools were also encouraged to feature locally grown vegetables, when available, as part of the Department’s broader farm-to-school initiative. This statewide effort promotes food sustainability, supports local agriculture, and aligns with 第175号法案’s goals to improve student health. King Intermediate and ʻĀhuimanu Elementary highlighted fresh, local roasted zucchini as part of their holiday meal.

Hawai‘i’s public schools are among the state’s largest institutional consumers of food, serving more than 100,000 student meals each day. The Department continues to collaborate with local farmers and vendors statewide to expand the use of fresh, locally grown produce across all schools on a regular basis.