The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s MilitaryShare program lends a helping hand to veterans who bravely served our country. By offering fresh, healthy foods, the Food Bank is serving those who served. Carl, a former armament repairer, is one such veteran that the Food Bank serves. During his service time, Carl worked on tanks, artillery guns, and the like. “It was a lot of fun, actually,” Carl laughs. “I really enjoyed it.” In addition to working as an armament repairer, he also served in the National Guard for about 20 years.
Carl heard about the MilitaryShare distribution service at the Altoona Fort Apache VFW in Blair county (a partner agency of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank) through a friend. “Another veteran told us about it, so we thought we would give it a try.” The food distribution service came at just the right time for Carl and his family, as they have recently experienced some health issues. So, when his friend told him about the distribution, he said, “Well, we could really use it right now, because my wife was just diagnosed with stage 4 cancer,” Carl says. “So, it’s nice to have a little extra food. I appreciate that they do this.”
The food that Carl and his family can get from the Food Bank means so much to them, especially during this trying time. “The food we get here is pretty varied,” he says. “I like it. We get fruit and vegetables, sometimes even local, as well as meats and fish.” Not only is the food varied, but it helps free up some money for other bills and expenses. “It’s just nice to have the help to alleviate some money for other bills.”
Another reason Carl enjoys and appreciates the MilitaryShare distribution is the fact that it’s run by veterans themselves. It truly is an example of veterans helping veterans. “Well, I’d say that I think it’s great that these people all want to reach out and help others,” he says. “These guys have been there, done that. I like seeing some of the veterans here that I know have served along with myself. So, it’s just neat to be able to get together. I’d rather come here than any other food bank. I appreciate that these are a lot of other veterans helping veterans. These are a lot of nice guys to talk to. I wish I had more time to hang around and talk with them. I’m just so happy that there are veterans helping other veterans. I love this kind of stuff.”
In central Pennsylvania, over 20% of households receiving food assistance have at least one member who has served, or is currently serving, in the military.
This startling statistic inspired the creation of MilitaryShare, a Fresh Express Program of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank designed to provide fresh, nutritious foods for families. This includes all military branches, prior service, reservist or inactive ready reserve.
To learn more about MilitaryShare, CLICK HERE.