Hanalei Burger Gives Free Meals to Keiki, Community Steps Up
Hanalei Burger owner Brittany Schwartz launched a program to provide free burgers to children this holiday season, funded by more than 200 customer and community donations that have already doubled her initial pledge. The effort responded to a recent federal shutdown and interruptions in SNAP benefits, offering food relief and supporting local producers on Kauai's North Shore.
Brittany Schwartz, who owns the North Shore food truck Hanalei Burger, began offering free burgers to children the day before Thanksgiving, using donations from customers and community members to fund the effort. The program has drawn more than 200 donations so far, surpassing an initial commitment to provide 100 burgers through the end of December. Schwartz has said she launched the effort after the recent federal shutdown led to an interruption in SNAP benefits that affected many local families.
The burgers are prepared with local grass fed beef and organic toppings, and the truck also serves organic milkshakes and lilikoi lemonade. The use of locally sourced beef creates additional demand for island ranchers and processors, keeping food dollars circulating in Kauai County even as some families face short term benefit interruptions. The food truck operates behind the Hanalei Liquor Store in Hanalei, making the service accessible to residents and visitors on the North Shore.
Schwartz, who was raised by a single mother and relied on federal food assistance programs in her youth, framed the initiative as community reciprocity. She said she wants the truck to be a welcoming space for keiki and families, and to "pay it forward." Local small business participation and crowd supported funding have provided a quick stopgap for food access while federal systems recover.
For households experiencing food stress this season the program offers immediate relief without paperwork, and for donors the initiative provides a direct way to target assistance to children. Economically, the effort illustrates how private actors and community giving can mitigate short term shocks from policy disruptions, while also underscoring the limits of such measures for long term food security.
Residents and visitors who want to contribute can do so via the QR code published with this story. The truck plans to continue serving meals through the holiday period and will reassess the program as federal benefits resume and community needs evolve.
