The Independence Fund, St. Vincent de Paul, and The Idaho Foodbank provided local Veterans and their families with essential food items and supplies through a contact-less drive-thru at the Boise VA Medical Center as part of the ongoing Feeding Independence initiative.
The first 200 Veterans who attended also received supply bags and food truck vouchers for Tacos El Ray Catering.
"Veterans don't like to ask for help, they're super prideful," said Brandon Weast, Pantry Manager for St. Vincent's de Paul. "We felt like if we come into their backyard they will actually take the help. And it has taken some time to take steam and pick up, but it has, and we're happy to see the numbers we are having today."
Food insecurity is deeply connected to complex socioeconomic and health issues, including a lack of affordable housing and chronic medical problems.
A 2020 study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicated that 11 percent of working-age Veterans live in food-insecure households, and another 5 percent of Veterans live in households with very low food security.
Feeding Independence was originally launched to directly support financially vulnerable Veterans, Caregivers, and families. It has since become a permanent service of The Independence Fund.
