The community gives back to help the less fortunate.

The state of Hawaii is often depicted as a care free island with tropical weather and picture perfect white sand beaches. The post cards and TV shows don’t show the darker side of island living that has become a growing problem in the last five years. Over 4,000 families in the state are below the poverty line and homeless according to Hawaii 2011 housing.

For the past 13 years Ko Olina Charities has been holding it’s Thanksgiving Outreach to benefit Hawaii’s less fortunate. Helping the community is what makes this Thanksgiving outreach something special to the Ko Olina volunteers willing to help out and deliver food to different Church's from Ewa beach to Makaha.

“Helping people, its not only a blessing for me but its a blessing to help others that are less fortunate,” said community volunteer Liane Ka’awa.

The food was prepared at Leeward Community College Ihi’lani and then UPS trucks were used to deliver it to the churches. Nanaikapono Protestant Church and Hawaiian Baptist Academy were just two of the 14 churches who were involved.

“The churches came up with a great idea that the best way to reach out into the community was to distribute the food and to make sure that they invited the less fortunate in their community,” said Ko Olina resort manager Kenn Williams.

The Thanksgiving Outreach made around 4,000 plates to serve and a little extra to give to the Church's.

“It gives me peace to know that someone will be fed, you know that they will not go hungry over night,” said Pele To’omata.

Of the 4,000 plates made there was enough to make sure that everyone in need left with a full stomach and some volunteers got something as well.

“When I see a smile from a family or a smile from a kid, that’s what always matters,” said Pele To’omata.