KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is proud to announce that for the fourth year in a row, it is teaming up with Humana to kick off its annual “Uniting to Combat Hunger” (UTCH) campaign, focusing its 2022 efforts on furthering awareness and providing meals to those facing hunger and food insecurity.
Established in 2018, the UTCH campaign was created to raise awareness of food insecurity, which can affect 1 in 4 Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans, and 1 in 8 people in America. To date, the UTCH campaign has provided more than 2.5 million meals to service members, veterans, military families and communities in need.
With a goal of providing 500,000 meals, this year’s campaign will culminate at the 123rd VFW National Convention being held in Kansas City on July 16-21, 2022.
“When the men and women of our armed forces put on their uniform, the last thing on their mind should be where the next meal for themselves or their family is coming from,” said VFW National Commander Fritz Mihelcic. “Together we know we can ensure America’s military and veteran communities have access to the sustenance and fulfillment every person deserves.”
“Education and awareness are an important part of the battle against food insecurity for our military affiliated community,” said Andrew Renda, M.D., MPH, Vice President, Bold Goal and Population Health Strategy for Humana. “We are committed to helping our communities better recognize and respond to veteran food insecurity while also connecting our veterans to the food they need to achieve their best health.”
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 60 million people turned to food banks and community programs for help and putting food on the table in 2020 according to Feeding America. The support raised now through July will help provide vital support for thousands of service members, veterans and their families.
To help provide meals to families facing hunger, donate today at vfw.org/UTCHDonate. Learn more about the “Uniting to Combat Hunger” campaign and how you can directly help in the fight against food insecurity by visiting vfw.org/UTCH.