Support for Food, Finances & Housing
Help your service members access resources that support their nutrition readiness, financial well-being and housing needs.
Nutrition readiness and food access, financial well-being and housing availability are vital for maintaining a ready and resilient force. As a military leader or service provider, you are uniquely positioned to support warfighters.
Download the Nutrition Readiness Toolkit for Military Leaders
Get resources for commanding officers, nutrition professionals, clinicians, and financial educators to support service members’ nutrition readiness and financial security.
Nutrition Readiness and Food Access
The Defense Department prioritizes military excellence. This includes focusing on nutrition readiness and fueling our warfighters for optimal performance on the battlefield. Nutrition readiness means military service members and their families have consistent access to quality, affordable food that supports optimal human performance.
Factors That Affect Nutrition Readiness
Nutrition readiness depends on service members and their households always having access to enough quality food for an active, healthy life. This is also referred to as food security.
There are a variety of factors that can affect a service member’s consistent access to quality food. These include the rising cost of living, having a large number of dependents, work schedules that don’t align with dining hall or commissary hours, limited transportation, and unexpected personal expenses, including during PCS season. These challenges can be temporary or longer-term.
Nutrition Readiness Resources
Learn how to assess your team’s nutrition readiness by reading below and get resources you can share with the warfighters in your chain of command.
Military leaders like you are uniquely positioned to assess nutrition readiness within their chains of command. Use the resources below to identify and support those service members who need assistance with improving their nutrition or accessing quality foods:
Connect your warfighters to free resources and services that support the nutrition readiness of our armed forces:
- Military OneSource health and wellness coaching is available at no cost to warfighters and their families. Coaches provide virtual, personalized support related to healthy eating, fitness and stress management.
- The Armed Forces Wellness Centers provide healthy behavior change through health education and advanced fitness testing technology for warfighters, family members, retirees and DOD civilians.
- The Guide on Food Security includes links to DOD and other Federal nutrition assistance programs that can help service members who need immediate support.
- Human Performance Resources by CHAMP is a DOD hub for information on maximizing performance, fitness, wellness and nutrition.
- The Warfighter Nutrition Guide offers strategies and recommendations for all aspects of performance nutrition for military service members.
Use these communications materials to share information on nutrition readiness with your enlisted:
- Customizable email for leaders and service providers to connect service members to available support services.
- Customizable presentation for leaders and service providers on nutrition readiness and resources available to service members.
- Tips and resources for service members to support eating healthy on a budget.
Financial Well-Being
Financial well-being is when a person can fully meet current and ongoing financial obligations, can feel secure in their financial future and is able to make financial decisions that enhance quality of life.
The financial well-being of service members and their families is a critical component of their economic security and overall well-being. Learn about financial security.
Financial Well-Being Resources
Commanders and leaders at all levels can support the financial well-being of their service members and families by connecting them to resources. Learn how you can help.
Talking to service members about financial well-being is encouraged and can help ensure mission readiness. Tools you can use:
- Engaging in Conversation and Assessing Financial Well-Being PDF can help you determine if a service member needs support.
- Military Family Readiness Academy on-demand course provides the skills necessary to support economic security and family well-being.
- Recognize Financial Distress with this brief video, available on the FINRED website.
Those you serve can get free financial support through these resources:
- Office of Financial Readiness website: Money management, financial well-being assessment, basic needs allowance and more.
- MilSpouse Money Mission: Financial education resources for military spouses.
- Military OneSource Financial Counseling: Personal and professional financial counseling to eligible service members and spouses.
Download and share these resources for service members to support their financial well-being:
- Guidance and free tools for managing personal finances.
- Information on military pay benefits.
- Financial resources for your military career.
Housing Support
Nationwide competitive housing market conditions are impacting many Americans, including service members and their families. Service members face rising rents and home prices in the off-base community, potentially paying out of pocket for temporary lodging and permanent housing. Competitive housing markets often result in shortfalls in available, adequate off-base housing and longer wait times for on-base housing for our military families.
Who is Housing Insecure?
Households are considered "cost-burdened" if they spend more than 30% of their income on housing and utilities and "severely cost-burdened" if they spend more than 50% of their income on housing and utilities. Cost-burdened households have little left over each month to spend on other necessities such as food and clothing.
Housing Support Resources
Support those you serve to understand the housing benefits available to them and navigate housing in military life.
Connect your warfighters to housing information and benefits:
Service members can search the Community Resource Finder online tool by ZIP code to see information about thousands of vetted, military-friendly, and free or low-cost resources in their new neighborhoods.
Download information for military leaders and service providers on housing resources available to those in your chain of command:
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