Support the USASOA Food For Troops program.
USASOA Food For Troops Program. Providing food to low-income military families at Ft. Belvoir Army Base in Virginia
We are grateful to US Army Base, Ft. Belvoir in Northern Virginia, for providing us with a space to distribute food directly to military families who are struggling with having enough food for themselves and their children.
United Soldiers and Sailors of America - Usasoa responds to the needs and challenges which face our military and their families. In an interview, this past Thursday concerning hunger among our military families, US Army veteran Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois (who lost both of her legs in combat), said, "People don't understand and don't know this is an issue when I tell people there are military families on SNAP benefits, people look at me incredulously ... How is it that we could be in a place where somebody who is actively serving in our military doesn't have enough food to feed themselves and their family members." Food insecurity is not a new or recent issue facing our military families; it has been going on for many years.
When the military cannot provide ‘on-base’ housing for service members and their families, depending on where they are stationed, those troops receive a basic housing allowance (BAH) stipend to pay for off-base or privatized military housing. But because of how qualifications are calculated for federal food assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly called food stamps, many lower-income military families can be excluded if they receive BAH funds. This inconsistency drives some families to rely on food pantries and food banks for emergency help. USASOA IS A HELPING PARTNER!
On the left is the USASOA Board Chair, Stephen Agnelli helping to distribute the food we collect to the young enlisted service members at Security Forces on Joint Base Andrews. Because of the donations of food and funds, we collected and distributed over $6,500.00 in nonperishable food to our young heroes and their families. The USASOA Food For Troops program directly impacts the quality of life for those who fight for our nation and who also fight food insecurity. Join us today and support our heroes.
“Long before the pandemic, military families struggled to put food on the table. From frequent moves to high rates of military spouse unemployment, the unique challenges of military life left too many families with empty cupboards and stomachs," said Besa Pinchotti, executive director of the National Military Family Association. "In the last year, those problems have only gotten worse."
In 2020, a Blue Star Families survey found that roughly 14% of enlisted active-duty families who responded reported low or very low food security over the past year.
United Soldiers and Sailors of America - Usasoa fully supports and advocates for the MILITARY HUNGER PREVENTION ACT.
In the meantime, please donate what you can to help our volunteers distribute much-needed food to military families on base at Ft. Belvoir in Virginia, Joint Base Andrews, and Joint Base Anacostia Bolling. We conduct the food distribution event on a monthly basis. Our supporters at Sam's Club, Costco, Paypal, and others raise awareness for this urgently needed program and to help feed our heroes and their families. It is our hope to expand this essential program to other military bases around the country. If you, your organization, business, school, or place of worship would like to host a Food For Troops Collection Drive, please contact john@usasoa.org
To donate food, please go to our online AMAZON FOOD PANTRY and purchase the food, which is then delivered directly to our Capitol Hill office and then distributed to our military and their families
You may also make a tax-deductible donation below