Harvesting Aloha Cohort I

Be part of the new way to nourish and strengthen the community.

Introducing our first- ever Harvesting Aloha Cohort! This is a group of 13 individuals from various backgrounds coming together over 5 months on a transformative journey, studying the issues of food waste and insecurity and how philanthropy impacts these issues, while individually and collectively taking action to increase awareness and funding for these issues.

 

Their collective goal is to raise $50,000 by December 12, 2025 to support the work of Aloha Harvest in rescuing and redistributing over 3 million pounds of quality food for our community each year. We believe the service Aloha Harvest provides to our community is incredibly valuable, and it’s up to us to invest in these kinds of creative solutions to tackle food waste and food insecurity.

 

Click the button below to check out their shared fundraising page. 

Shared Fundraising

Alice Cuccioli

Cohort I Member

Alice was born in Italy, which seemed like a perfectly good place to begin, until life’s bizarre navigation system rerouted me to these shores, where she now resides with her husband. She is a supply chain professional, with a mysterious passion for data analytics. She finds joy in cooking, music, meditation, and in loving nature with the kind of devotion usually reserved for improbable deities or very good glasses of wine.  

Christina Whinnery

Cohort I Member

Christina is the Resident Services Property Management Senior Associate at Kekaulike Courtyards. In one of her roles, Christina is dedicated to enhancing the resident experience and promoting community engagement as a member of a small management team. 

Our commitment as a team is grounded in respect, integrity, and aloha. Additionally, our partnership with Aloha Harvest has been a valuable alignment, further enriching our affordable housing community’s capacity to thrive. 

Clyds Manzano

Cohort I Member

Clyds’ dedication to creating a resilient and sustainable food system is guided by his lived experiences. He hopes to be an advocate and a leader in his community to create the multi-generational change he hopes to see.

Jen Gibo

Cohort I Member

Passionate about volunteer services and community outreach, Jen brings a wealth of experience from roles in Real Estate and healthcare, including account management and consumer solutions; her commitment to food sustainability initiatives shines through active engagement in various volunteer efforts, serving as a board member for a non-profit organization  all rooted in a blend of Hawaii origins with mainland upbringing.

Kelly Taylor-Aoki

Cohort I Member

Born in California and a Hawaiʻi resident for over 50 years, Kelly holds a B.S. from the University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu and brings a career background in law enforcement and two decades with Costco. She’s into community service, including volunteering as a reading tutor, Meals on Wheels, and Aloha Harvest. Passionate about food insecurity and food waste, she feels lucky to support an organization that nourishes our community.

Mihir Patel

Cohort I Member

Recent transplant to O’ahu from the mainland (moved from CT to HI in Oct 2023). Currently reside in Ewa Beach. My belief is that it’s everyone’s kuleana to rescue food & to eliminate food waste to help our local communities on O’ahu and in Hawai’i. 

Morgan Tooch

Cohort I Member

Morgan grew up appreciating food as it brought her family together. In her informative years she came to understand that having access to food was not a universal to all. After studying environmental science in collage she immersed herself in agriculture and ultimately pursued a career in food justice. In her free time she can be found gardening, in the ocean, or experimenting in the kitchen. 
 

Phoebe Woodworth-Jefcoats

Cohort I Member

Phoebe is a research scientist who studies the effects of climate change.  She’s passionate about making sure  resources—like food—aren’t wasted.  You can usually find her in the garden with her dog Jack or elbow-deep in the compost bin.

Roland Manangan

Cohort I Member

Roland has been dedicated to creating lasting change in the fields of financial literacy, health and wellness education, and food security programs. He believes that when each individual has access to both quality education and essential needs, communities thrive and everyone has the opportunity to live their best lives.
 

Samantha Lugo

Cohort I Member

Samantha is originally from St. Louis, MO. After years of traveling she settled down in Honolulu 4 years ago and attended culinary school at KCC. During her time there, she learned about the food insecurity and waste that affects all of Hawai’i. Since graduating, she wanted to learn more about how she could get involved in the community and do what she can to help. 

Victoria Wright

Cohort I Member

Victoria lives on the North Shore of Kaua‘i and is a student at the University of New Hampshire, studying Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems. Food access and security have always been important to her, and through her work with Aloha Harvest she hopes to continue building her knowledge and skills to help create more resilient food systems.