KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) are proud to announce that for the second year in a row the “Uniting to Combat Hunger” (UTCH) campaign has provided more than 1 million meals for veterans, military families and communities in need, surpassing its goal for 2021.
A collaborative campaign established in 2018, UTCH was created to combat food insecurity, while also working to raise awareness of the issue that may affect 1 in 8 people in America, and as many as 1 in 4 Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans. To date, the campaign has provided more than 2.5 million meals to those facing hunger and food insecurity.
Despite the social-distancing guidelines and challenges the pandemic presented, VFW members and Humana team members worked year-round to support this important initiative, from hosting socially distanced food drives and collecting monetary donations, to hosting ruck marches benefiting local Feeding America food pantries.
“Social factors, like food insecurity and social isolation, have a direct link to the development of chronic diseases and mental health issues for our veteran community,” said Andrew Renda, M.D., MPH, Vice President, Bold Goal and Population Health Strategy for Humana. “We want all veterans to have access to the resources, food or otherwise, that they need to live their healthiest lives. Humana remains committed to honoring and serving our veterans by eliminating barriers to good health.”
“Having easy access to food is something that everyone deserves, but especially those who have put so much on the line in defense of our country,” said Fritz Mihelcic, VFW national commander. “Being able to provide 1 million meals to families who are struggling means a lot to the VFW, and the VFW remains determined to continue to work toward ensuring no more service members, veterans or their families go hungry.”
Despite making strides toward combatting food insecurity this year, the issue does not end with the start of a new year. According to a recent survey from Blue Star Families, 14% of enlisted, active-duty household respondents reported facing difficulty putting food on the table in the previous year. The UTCH campaign is pushing strongly into 2022, and both the VFW and Humana remain dedicated to addressing the challenges surrounding food insecurity. To find out what you can do to help in the fight or to help provide meals to families facing hunger, visit vfw.org/UTCH.
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About the Veterans of Foreign Wars: The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is the nation's largest and oldest major war veterans’ organization. Founded in 1899, the congressionally chartered VFW is comprised entirely of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, Guard and Reserve forces. With more than 1.5 million VFW and Auxiliary members located in over 6,000 Posts worldwide, the nonprofit veterans service organization is proud to proclaim “NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS” than the VFW, which is dedicated to veterans’ service, legislative advocacy, and military and community service programs. For more information or to join, visit our website at vfw.org.
About Humana: Humana Inc. is committed to helping our millions of medical and specialty members achieve their best health. Our successful history in care delivery and health plan administration is helping us create a new kind of integrated care with the power to improve health and well-being and lower costs. Our efforts are leading to a better quality of life for people with Medicare, families, individuals, military service personnel, and communities at large.
To accomplish that, we support physicians and other health care professionals as they work to deliver the right care in the right place for their patients, our members. Our range of clinical capabilities, resources and tools – such as in-home care, behavioral health, pharmacy services, data analytics and wellness solutions – combine to produce a simplified experience that makes health care easier to navigate and more effective.
More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company’s web site at www.humana.com, including copies of:
• Annual reports to stockholders
• Securities and Exchange Commission filings
• Most recent investor conference presentations
• Quarterly earnings news releases and conference calls
• Calendar of events
• Corporate Governance information
Media Contacts:
VFW: Randi K. Law, communications director, rlaw@vfw.org
Humana: Matt Wheeler, Corporate Communications, mwheeler10@humana.com