Food Security Resources and Support Programs

While it’s important to fuel ourselves and our families with nutritious meals, many barriers keep us from doing so, including the rising costs and availability of healthy food. If you’re experiencing challenges with accessing healthy, affordable food, please know you’re not alone. Resources and support are available to anyone in need.

The Defense Department takes seriously the pressures that our service members and families face in today’s world – especially when it comes to experiencing food insecurity. Ensuring our service and family members are food secure is a top priority and part of our commitment to take care of our people.

• Military OneSource Community Resource Finder
  Find food banks and community food resources organized by state using this extract from the Community Resource Finder.

• Defense Commissary Agency Benefits
  Learn about nutrition tips and how commissaries promote food security by providing quality products at low prices.

• Military and Family Support Centers
  Installation-based Military and Family Support Centers are a one-stop shop for family readiness information and services. Find your local installation’s center by visiting MilitaryINSTALLATIONS.

• TRICARE Food Insecurity
  This webpage defines food insecurity and includes links to helpful resources.

• TRICARE: Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, Overseas Program
  The WIC Overseas Program offers eligible participants living overseas nutritious food, tips on how to prepare balanced meals, nutrition and health screenings and other resources.

• Family Supplemental Subsistence Allowance
  FSSA is available for service members serving overseas with at least one dependent in their households (not including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands or Guam).

• Basic Needs Allowance
  The BNA is a monthly allowance for active-duty service members with dependents whose gross household income falls below 150% of federal poverty guidelines.

• CHAMP Food Security Resources
  The Consortium for Health and Military Performance website describes additional resources to expand your food budget.
• Financial Readiness
  Find a personal financial counselor, learn about your military benefits and entitlements, and access helpful tools to better manage your money and your savings.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers several nutrition assistance programs to increase food security, reduce hunger and provide nutrition education.

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program                                                                  SNAP provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford the nutritious food essential to health and well-being.
• National School Lunch Program
  NSLP is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions that provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day.
• Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children
  WIC provides supplemental foods, health care referrals and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding and nonbreastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age 5 who are found to be at nutritional risk.
• Summer Food Service Program
  USDA reimburses program operators who serve free, healthy meals and snacks to children and teens at summer sites in low-income communities.
• Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for Children, or Summer EBT, for Children
  Summer EBT provides grocery-buying benefits to low-income families with school-aged children when schools are closed for the summer. Summer EBT will officially launch in summer 2024.
• Food and Nutrition Service for Military and Veteran Families
  USDA connects military and veteran families with available nutrition programs.
• USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse
  Hunger Free America operates the National Hunger Hotline on behalf of USDA. The hotline is a resource for individuals and families seeking information on how to obtain food.
• Women, Infants and Children Overseas Program
  The WIC overseas program is a DOD program that provides eligible civilian employees, DOD contractors, family members and members of the uniformed services with food, tips for balanced meals, health screenings and a wealth of other resources.