Veterans Day Food Drive Supports Local Military Families and Veterans

Published On: November 10th, 2023By Categories: Community Support2.3 min read

In honor of Veterans Day, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Humana, and Feeding San Diego have partnered to launch the “Uniting to Combat Hunger Food Drive” in support of local military families and veterans. Participating VFW posts are currently accepting donations of nonperishable food items for Feeding San Diego until the end of November. At the end of the drive, the VFW Foundation with Humana will donate funds to the qualifying posts based on how many pounds of food they collect. The funds will go towards preservation as well as repairing and replacing post equipment. This unique partnership shows the power of local organizations working together for the good of the overall community, particularly our military community.

“We are honored to be partnered with our local VFW posts for this food drive campaign that will support military families and veterans experiencing food insecurity,” said Bob Kamensky, interim chief executive officer of Feeding San Diego. “As a veteran myself, it’s a privilege to be a part of San Diego’s military community and support our veterans.”

Three women and a man standing outside a VFW post with food collection boxes

From left to right: Post Commander Richard Vannoy, Wendy Calderon with VFW, Kacey McKinnon from KUSI News, and Allison Glader, Feeding San Diego’s Strategic Marketing & Communications Consultant.

Partnering for Greater Impact

According to Feeding America, in 2020, nearly a quarter (24%) of active-duty service members experienced food insecurity. In addition, one in nine working-age veterans lives in a food-insecure household.

Feeding San Diego’s Feeding Heroes initiative includes a network of partners that serve the military community. The food gathered by participating VFWs will help provide nutritious meals to active-duty military families and veterans.

What makes this drive unique is that for every pound of food collected for Feeding San Diego by a participating post, the VFW Foundation with Humana will donate $1 to the post, up to $1,500 per post. However, a minimum of 500 pounds of food must be collected by the post to qualify. This means we need your help to meet our goal.

Jars of Skippy peanut butter stacked on top of each other

How to Get Involved

From now until November 30, 2023, members of the public can participate in the “Uniting to Combat Hunger Food Drive” by bringing food donations to participating VFW locations. Feeding San Diego’s most-needed items include:

  • Peanut Butter
  • Pantry Staples
  • Ready-To-Eat Meals
  • Soup

Please do not bring anything in a glass container. You can find a map with participating locations and more information about the food drive on our website here.

You can also donate from the comfort of your own home using Instacart Community Carts. Simply purchase the items through your Instacart account, and they’ll deliver everything for you! Visit our Instacart page to learn more.