Jul 17, 2018
Thousands of VFW and Auxiliary members will be in Kansas City from July 21 through July 25 for the 119th VFW National Convention. Although this meeting will center around improving the lives of veterans and service members, it will also address an issue that affects one in four military family households: food insecurity, which is lack of access to enough nutritionally adequate foods to live an active, healthy life.
Nearly 14 percent of the Kansas City area faces food insecurity, but it’s even more startling that 20 percent of the households Feeding America serves has at least one member who has served in the U.S. military.
In June, the VFW and Humana teamed up with local [hunger-relief organizations] After the Harvest and Harvesters to launch Uniting to Combat Hunger, which set out to provide 50,000 meals to local individuals in need, including veterans. We expect to exceed our target, but our efforts won’t stop because we are committed to combating food insecurity and supporting service members.
No one should be food insecure. We will continue to work together to help individuals who do not have access to enough nutritionally adequate foods.
Signed,
Keith Harman
VFW National Commander
Delphos, Ohio
Worthe S. Holt Jr.
Vice president
Office of the Chief Medical Officer
Humana Inc.
Fishers, Ind.
This Letters to the Editor submission originally appeared in the July 15 issue of the Kansas City Star.