Peace Starts With Me Volunteers Help Feed 500 Families in Hawai‘i
“Being able to help provides so much love, and you can feel the gratitude from every volunteer and community member you help,” one participant reflected after serving at the King’s Chapel Hawai‘i Food Bank ‘Ohana. “This is something I would love to be part of again!”
On January 23, 11 volunteers from the Hawai‘i Peace Starts With Me Alliance (PSWMA) joined approximately 75 volunteers at King’s Chapel Hawai‘i to distribute food to 500 families across East O‘ahu. Led by the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) Hawai‘i Chapter, the group began 2026 by joining an established community service effort that has provided food to local families for more than a decade.
The Food Bank ‘Ohana is held twice each month under the leadership of Pastor Margaret Vesnefski, King’s Chapel’s community outreach director, who has overseen the ministry for the past seven years. For the January distribution, volunteers from across the Peace Starts With Me Alliance—including WFWP, the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU), and Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP)—worked alongside King’s Chapel volunteers and other members of the community.
Before they arrived, the Hawai‘i Food Bank had delivered pallets of fresh produce, frozen meats, breads, desserts, and dry goods, supplemented by food from King’s Chapel’s own pantry. Volunteers formed an assembly line to sort fruits and vegetables, pack grocery boxes, and load food into vehicles as families arrived. A separate walk-up distribution ensured that people without transportation could also receive assistance.
As the work continued, younger and older volunteers served side by side, including second-generation youth working alongside first-generation members.
“I was so happy to see our young (people) help,” one participant shared. “They worked tirelessly loading heavy boxes of food into the trunks of cars. We were all empowered by this experience and are looking for more.”
For another volunteer, who was participating in a community service project for the first time, the experience revealed something more personal. “Everyone was friendly and seemed to genuinely connect with one another,” the volunteer reflected. “I realized that I still can contribute something to the community. I truly enjoyed serving, and the whole experience was incredibly rewarding.”
That discovery—that each person has something to contribute—gives practical expression to the idea at the heart of Peace Starts With Me. Through service, volunteers not only helped meet an immediate need but also found opportunities to build relationships across generations, organizations, and church communities.
“I could see the hand of God working in our community,” he reflected, describing the experience of “working together with another church community, making a foundation and building a network of friends.”
By the end of the distribution, 500 families had received food, while volunteers left with new relationships and an eagerness to serve again. In the simple work of packing boxes, loading cars, sharing laughter, and serving shoulder to shoulder, the gathering offered a glimpse of how community can grow through service—every bag carrying nourishment, every smile carrying hope, and each act of compassion bringing the vision of Peace Starts With Me a little closer to home.
