Statement Attributed to Vince Hall, Chief Government Relations Officer
Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, applauds lawmakers for including in the fiscal year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) a Military Family Basic Needs Allowance (MFBNA), which will help tens of thousands of military members put food on the table for themselves and their families. The Feeding America network of food banks and partner food organizations work overtime in communities across the country to support military families facing food insecurity, and the MFBNA will provide much-needed additional assistance through a modest monthly allowance for servicemembers struggling to afford food.
For military families, unique hardships from costly child care and increased costs of living to low salaries for junior personnel and high rates of unemployment for spouses often stretch grocery budgets to the breaking point. In fact, according to a recent survey from Blue Star Families, 14 percent of enlisted, active-duty household respondents reported facing difficulty putting food on the table in the previous year. The MFBNA is a move in the right direction toward ensuring those who sacrifice for our nation, and their loved ones, have access to the nutritious food they need to stay healthy and military-ready. We look forward to continuing to work with our lawmakers on Capitol Hill and the administration to ensure no military family has to worry about where their next meal will come from.
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About Feeding America
Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 5.3 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
