HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - The shelves are stocked with everything you'd expect to find in a store, but the shoppers at Patriot's Pantry are in a rather unique, albeit growing group. The food pantry in Virginia Beach exclusively serves active-duty military members and their families.
"We have a lot of families that were two income families, now they're one income families. All of a sudden, things cost more,” says Laura Baxter of the Armed Services YMCA of Hampton Roads.
Baxter saw the need for this service at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The Armed Services YMCA opened the pantry later that year. By the end of 2022, Baxter tells News 3, the need had more than doubled.
Inside the pantry, located in a building off of Independence Boulevard near the entrance to Little Creek, active-duty service members can almost anonymously shop for fresh food, canned goods, even personal hygiene supplies. Basics, these families might otherwise do without.
"You have your service member, but they're only as good as the family that supports them," Baxter adds.
New research reveals one out of every six military and veteran families experienced food insecurity. That study found the problem is the worst in a handful of seven states, including both North Carolina and Virginia.
"There's a little bit of a reluctance among the military to come to us because they see themselves as the helpers and not the people that needed help," explains Christopher Tan, CEO of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore in Norfolk.
In addition to doing its part to feed hungry families, the food bank also connects military families with other benefits like SNAP, the federal government's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
"We have a person on staff that's sole responsibility is to keep up with that, to do outreach to the community and to help them to fill out applications if they need to," Tan adds.
That help can be a game changer for a struggling military family. For every one meal the food bank provides, SNAP can provide nine. Click here to lean more details on SNAP eligibility and benefits.
That is what help on a large scale looks like. Back at Patriot's Pantry, the footprint may be smaller, but the reach is still far. Each meal feeding active-duty families on the home front also provides comfort for their service members deployed around the world.
"We have individuals that are putting their lives on the line to protect your family, my family, and it's owed. We owe them that support," says Baxter.
Patriot’s Pantry relies on financial contributions to purchase food to give away. Donations of specific items are also accepted. Those products include:
- Cereal/Oatmeal
- Peanut Butter/Jelly
- Spaghetti Sauce
- Pasta/Rice
- Fruit Cups/Pudding
- Granola and Protein Bars
- Canned Meat
- Pancake Mix
- Ready to Serve Pasta Meals
- Pull-Top Heat and Eat Meals
- Toiletries
- Diapers
To make a food or monetary donation, visit the Armed Services YMCA of Hampton Roads location at 1465 Lakeside Road in Virginia Beach during business hours: Monday – Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
You can also call (757)-363-1884 to learn more.
