Mona Silva

Pictured: Mona Silva Photographer: Dave Homcy — Pictured: Mona Silva
Photographer: Dave Homcy

“There are so many selfless acts, in every way, throughout the pandemic... that's humanity. And I see it almost every single day.”

Mona Silva is Owner/Operator of Uncle Glenn’s Hawaiian Food restaurant in Kaneohe, O’ahu. After a long career as Director of Operations for O’ahu Transit Services, in 2018 Mona and her husband opened up a family business serving authentic Hawaiian food: recipes learned from grandma and great grandma. She describes their restaurant as a community center of sorts, hosting important celebrations for the surrounding community. Uncles Glenn’s became a place for music, food, family parties, faculty meetings, church services, and of course, local grinds. When COVID-19 hit, Mona and her team pivoted swiftly to accommodate those hit hardest by the pandemic. Uncles Glenn’s has been providing over one hundred fifty meals for kupuna every Monday through Friday. Prepared and served individually within a CDC-compliant manner. We caught up with Mona on a Monday just after food service had finished.

How are you?

As you can see, the place is dark; chairs are up and all the staff is gone. We finished our Malama Meals already. It’s been quite crazy, and it's been an experience. There are emotions of sadness that appear for people, because they don't know what to predict for tomorrow. Anger has been coming up for a lot of people, too.

Now that you are on the frontline feeding people, were you aware of the vast need for food in the community?

I don't think people realized how long this was going to go on. When the reality sunk in, they started reaching out within our community. Kau’i [Pratt], who I thank God for bringing to me, was called on non-stop by many people. Families were at a point where they only had access to two more days of food.

I am called to go on with the Malama Meals for as long as we can. Until we are able to reopen, depending on what’s happening. I can’t say no, and I have to keep adding and adding [to our capacity].

So much humanity. I remember one person that exploded at a food drive, yelling despite a hundred people filming them. They didn't care. It wasn't intentional. It was emotional, because they couldn't feed their family. This work, it’s about the life of people. It was a gift from God when we were born; what we make ourselves is our gift to Him.

“…it’s about the life of people…it was a gift from God when we all were born. What we make ourselves is our gift to Him.”

What changes have you made in your business/lifestyle/platform to adapt to our current situation?

I think a lot of good has come out of this for me personally. I value my morals and what I do at home. People need to believe that old-school, grassroots ways of living work.

“People need to believe that old-school, grassroots ways of living work.”

Agriculture has been a great part of Hawaii. In fact, agriculture was the number one industry before the tourist industry. We lost that because we focus so much on the tourist industry. I have nothing bad to say about the tourist industry -- it is wonderful. But if we go through another pandemic like this in our country, our state won’t be ready for it.

Every day my husband and I purposefully drive home along the ocean highway. We talk about when our families did torching and fishing, and how we grew up at this beach with my grandfather and picked clams or did onshore fishing. The ocean on that drive is a crystal beautiful, beautiful He’eia fish pond that is being restored. It's the life that I lived as a little girl.

I think a lot of things that we are learning from social distancing can be applied every day regardless of whether they lift those regulations. It's wonderful that these things can change people's hygiene. I think there's a lot that people can learn from this: adapt the good, and learn from the negative things as a lesson. If we make the necessary corrections or behavior changes, there can be value there. If I survive reopening, I'm thinking about what I would do with my family. Would reopening put my family at risk? Would I participate in something with large crowds? I'll be a little hesitant for a while until I build a comfort zone within society.

“You end up living with, and letting, your heart guide you.”

What food system vulnerabilities have been exposed in this crisis? 

One of the hardest things was when I missed the first PPP loan because everything was electronic. I didn't really know if I had submitted my online application, because I got an automatic reply that it was received, but evidently there were portions that were missing.

I cried. I cried because I couldn't go into the bank and sit down with a loan officer. I had to compete against big businesses for this loan. I lived in an old world, and I was dealing with the new. It took a customer service email to my bank, and telling my story in an email. I got a human being to call me back the next day, and from that point she assured me that she would have someone contact me. They did contact me. Nothing was on the phone, everything was through a text message or an email, but I didn't have an automatic reply anymore. I'm 60, and I don't come from this world of high technology. So it was hard to compete.

“I think the world that I would love to see…if we just took the opportunity to support our own communities, our own state, our farmers, our merchandise suppliers... We have it right here. We have all the resources we need, but we tend to go elsewhere for it.”

What is your vision for the future? Are there changes occurring now that you want to see remain in place once COVID-19 is over? 

I think the world that I would love to see… if we just took the opportunity to support our own communities, our own state, our farmers, our merchandise suppliers... We have it right here. We have all the resources we need, but we tend to go elsewhere for it.

There is sometimes sadness, fear, and anger and many different emotions. I think that the sadness comes from seeing what's happening, hearing the stories of people's lives, and thinking you have it bad but somebody else has it worse... We're all in the same boat in our little way; we are all suffering from this. Then there is the fear of the unknown. I don't know how we're gonna rebuild. I don’t know what to expect.

“We're all in the same boat in our little way; we are all suffering from this.”

How do you see this crisis being described in the history books of the future?

Almost every day I see selfless acts from my customers. Participants of the Malama Meals program will sometimes drop into a donation bucket more than what that meal costs because they're paying forward for someone else's. We have people picking up food for families and delivering it to their homes. I hear stories of someone fixing someone's car because Grandpa was walking to pick up the meal. One of the workers at the golf course, who was also a mechanic, went to someone’s house and fixed his car so he wouldn't have to walk in the rain anymore. Clothing is given to families in need. Through small talk, they hear about a family that needs this or that. One woman needed food for 12 members of her family. Through one little newscast, everybody is coming forward to give her meals and food. There are so many selfless acts, in every way, throughout the pandemic. People are helping a Grandma with her yard so she doesn’t have to come outside of her house. People shopping for a 105 year old participant because she is too afraid to leave her house. That's humanity. And I see it almost every single day.

“The life of people is what I always put first. When you put that first, you're going to find it in your heart to do what you can, within your means to provide, and nothing else matters.”

Different people have different philosophies, but what is more important: my liberty, my freedom, my right to the fifth amendment to be silent, my right to enjoy society -- Or me participating in a meaningful way within my comfort zone? What can I do to provide the best possible safety conditions so that I don't jeopardize your life or my life? The life of people is what I always put first. When you put that first, you're going to find it in your heart to do what you can within your means to provide, and nothing else matters.

Who are your local food heroes?

You know, one of my food heroes has always been Windward Mall. I love them. They have the market for the local farmers. Some of my catering menus state when we have strictly Hawaiian food on the menu. You have to have the Hawaiian in there because it means so much to know that. And it means a lot for the farmers as well.

“The farmers are my heroes and they have taken such a great impact.”

The farmers are my heroes, and they have taken such a great impact. I really don't know how much resources or funding they're getting to rebuild. Farming isn't easy; it takes a while before your product to be ready to sell. You have to build [with that in mind]. I think God has blessed us with beautiful weather. We have the sun and the rain that allows our farmers to produce on these wonderful farms. But now they have to get rid of their product when all the hotels shut down.

“We love the culture of Hawaii, and the culture is what we live.”

What do you want the community to know in order to help?

I've got this very grassroots belief in my heart: we love Hawaii. We love the culture of Hawaii, and the culture is what we live. It also [helps] us to respect other nations, because we believe that you love and you bleed your own cultural love, whatever it comes with.

When you reminisce on what has happened, it brings tears. But you have to move on and learn from this, implement the good, and slowly influence your community. Start with your family and hope people buy into the program, whatever it may be. And love will grow.

“When you reminisce on what has happened…it brings tears. But gotta move on and learn from this…”