VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Ramona Chandler is one of dozens of volunteers who show up once a month and fill up shopping carts with $125 worth of groceries for local military families.
“It's not really known that a lot of the enlisted people don’t get paid what they should be paid and they can’t say anything so we seek them out through school guidance counselors and social workers and offer them groceries for a week it helps,” said Chandler.
Watch: News 3 helps fight food insecurity for military families
Volunteer Tiffany Mosher’s family donated $5,000 dollars to the Aid Now charity that hosts this monthly event.
“My grandfather served in WW2 and so and growing up we were always we had such strong support of military,” said Mosher.
Food Lion also contributed $25 to each order.
“It's important to us to let them know we are here for them. We know there are tough decisions being made right now, people having to choose between rent, groceries and gas," said Maria Bowman, manager of the Great Neck Food Lion. "So we’re hoping that by being out here today we’re able to support the efforts in their hunger relief.”
Watch: Blaine Stewart discusses military food insecurity on Coast Live
Families pre-order what they need and volunteers carry them orders out to waiting families.
“We greet the families as they drive up we load their groceries and tell them to have a great day,”
“What it means to our family is a lot. A lot of families are struggling right now and I think that people sometimes forget about the military moving from states that have a more expensive cost of living,” said one military spouse who is picking up groceries.
Watch: Armed Force Brewing to hold food & toy drive for military families in need
“Its really helpful for us we’ve noticed that our grocery bill has doubled if not more. I have a ten year old boy who eats a lot, I have an eight year old girl who eats just as much and now I have a two year old,” said one military vet who's wife is active duty Army.
Families helping families is what makes Aid Now, and its volunteers are Positively Hampton Roads.
If you'd like help from Aid Now or would like to contribute to helping feed military families in Hampton Roads, follow this link: https://www.aidnow.org/
