Family Retention: Food Insecurity
By Sally Velez | DEPLOY Family Retention Fellow
As many know, the military has a recruitment and retention problem. Various plans and initiatives have attempted to address this crisis. Still, even those initiatives have yet to assist those who desperately need it. Some experiences that military families have are not as easily addressed. One of the first things that comes to mind is food insecurity, which can impact anyone of any rank. Food insecurity does not discriminate.
Learning that 1 in 6 military families utilize some form of food assistance because they are food insecure is eye-opening. I knew food insecurity impacted families, but I didn't realize the number was so high. Once settled in the DMV area, I noticed how many people were lined up at food banks. The spouse pages in the local area provide information on the times of local food banks and food drives on the local military installations. Food insecurity is vast in this area, and until moving here, I didn’t realize how prevalent it is. I probably knew people who were food insecure at other points in my life, but no one talked about their struggles — until they did.
I have friends who are food insecure. They are open about everything they have gone through, and unfortunately for them, it is because of how high the cost of living is as a family of six. How they grocery shop from a couple of years ago has not changed, but how much everything costs has. As a military family, living on one income is nearly impossible, given the high cost of living. The spouse in the relationship has been trying to find employment. Still, it has not been easy because many employers are not offering flexible schedules or a hybrid work week, which is necessary for them to be employed.
Food insecurity will be a big factor in choosing whether or not to serve in the military. There has been a push to increase lower enlisted pay, but that effort recently stalled. Food insecurity can be scary. Even though some programs can help, navigating them can be challenging because service members need clarification about what they should claim as income.
Recently, Blue Star Families hosted a webinar focusing on food insecurity and the programs available to service members and their families. I want to mention that these programs are available to military families and all Americans. There should not be shame or embarrassment in seeking assistance if one needs it because we pay into these programs in case there is ever a time when utilization may be necessary due to circumstances outside our control.