Food Drive Catching On Among Kahala Realtor Volunteers

Kahala Associates’ Aileen Rodriguez-Chizer (front, far right) with her 2012 team in East Oahu. Her crew will collect door-to-door again Nov. 9 for Hawaii Foodbank. Photo from Liane Hu.

Kahala Associates has an enthusiastic stable of employees who get very busy this time of year – and not just from selling homes. Three key Realtors, including Aileen Rodriguez-Chizer of Kapahulu, are deep into their sixth annual food drive this week.

Rodriguez-Chizer already has delivered donation bags to hundreds of homes in the Kaimuki and Kapahulu area, and her team will come pick up the filled ones between 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday and deliver them to Hawaii Foodbank. Volunteers include state Rep. Scott Nishimoto and local retailer Keiki 2 Keiki.

Those who don’t have a donation bag can call her at 348-1782, or deliver their non-perishable food offerings directly to Kahala Associates’ office at Kahala Mall.

The success of Yumi Laney and Christina Laney-Wycheck – a mother-daughter team from Pearl City – inspired Rodriguez-Chizer to join the drive and replicate their model in her own neighborhood. That new effort resulted in a 238-percent increase in donations, which equates to about 4,100 meals for needy island families over the past five years.

“Christina, Yumi and Aileen have truly gone the extra mile,” said KA broker and co-founder Myra Brandt. “We are proud of their efforts and success in helping those in need.”