Integrated Communications Strategy, Multichannel Marketing, Art Direction, Content Creation, Print Design, Digital Design, Web Development, Social Media, Illustration, Copywriting and Copy Editing

Working for Hawai‘i Foodbank, we commissioned and launched The State of Food Insecurity in Hawai‘i. the state’s first in-depth, locally relevant report on food insecurity in nearly a decade. The goal: to develop a more accurate understanding of the crisis and elevate it into the public policy conversation. The report utilized the full U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module — the gold standard in measuring food insecurity in population studies — and surveyed residents across every major island, demographic group and income tier. The results were alarming: nearly 1 in 3 households in Hawai‘i experienced food insecurity in 2023, including nearly 1 in 3 children. Specific findings also revealed disproportionate impacts among Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, Filipinos, members of the LGBTQ+ community and young adults enrolled in college.

These data highlighted an urgent communications opportunity: Hawai‘i’s hunger crisis was not being fully understood — and, thus, not fully addressed — by lawmakers, media or the general public.

Using this important data, we developed a fully-integrated campaign aimed at reframing food insecurity as a systemic, urgent issue requiring coordinated response. Objectives included the following: driving awareness of the report findings and food insecurity's scale and impact; establishing Hawai‘i Foodbank as the leading voice and data authority on food insecurity; and mobilizing support from community members, donors, businesses and policymakers.

Strategies included a coordinated media campaign consisting of a virtual statewide press conference, press release, op-ed placement and editorial coverage; consistent communications across Hawai‘i Foodbank’s owned media channels including a website landing page, social media content, blog articles, e-newsletters and stakeholder briefings; and the creation and distribution of a full report, executive summary, infographics, presentation decks and FAQs.

The The State of Food Insecurity in Hawai‘i campaign won a 2025 Koa Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of America in the category of Public Service.