The VFW aligned with Humana and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida in June for a gleaning, or gathering of leftovers after a harvest, near Orlando to help combat food insecurity among central Florida families.
Volunteers from Humana and VFW Headquarters sort corn picked during the United to Combat Hunger gleaning on June 11. About 75 Volunteers sorted more than 10,000 pounds of corn picked at Long & Scott Farms in Lake County Florida. VFW plans to provide more than 100,000 meals to families, including veterans and service members, in central Florida. Photo by Barbara Wagner/Humana.Volunteers picked more than 10,000 pounds of corn from a field at Long & Scott Farms in Lake County, Fla. About 75 volunteers from the VFW and Humana sorted the fresh produce for families in central Florida.
VFW Foundation Manager Richard Freiburghouse said the reason the VFW is a part of this initiative is because 25 percent of military households and 27 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are affected by food insecurity.
“Food insecurity doesn’t just mean that people are going hungry,” Freiburghouse said. “It means people don’t have access to healthy foods and fresh produce. By working together with Humana, we hope to bring a difference in the lives of families, including active-duty and veteran households.”
Last year, the VFW launched the United to Combat Hunger campaign that provided more than 50,000 meals to families in the Kansas City, Mo., area. United to Combat Hunger aims to double that amount at the VFW National Convention in Orlando. VFW plans to provide more that 100,000 meals to families in need.
“Humana is concerned about veterans and military families,” Freiburghouse said. “They have been great to work with.”
Jason Couch, grants coordinator for the VFW Foundation, said VFW is “proud” of and “excited to continue” the Uniting to Combat Hunger program.
“The work Humana and the VFW are doing to fight food insecurity through Uniting to Combat Hunger has made an impact on hundreds of lives in the Orlando area and elsewhere,” Couch said. “Several central Florida veterans wouldn’t have access to the nutritional meals they and their families deserve without efforts like these.”
This article was featured in the July/August 2019 issue of VFW Checkpoint. If you're a Post, District or Department Commander and aren't receiving the Checkpoint e-newsletter, please contact the VFW magazine at magazine@vfw.org.