Military and Veteran Families

Stay Connected
with FNS

"And just as our troops need your leadership and support, their families do
as well. Because they sacrifice and serve this nation right alongside
anyone who wears our uniform." -First Lady Michelle Obama

You served our country proudly and honorably, and we want to inform you that through
our nutrition programs, you may be eligible for assistance to ensure you, your family,
and fellow veterans have the assistance to ensure you have nutritious meals.

Below are FNS Programs that You May Be Eligible For:

	Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) SNAP helps families buy nutritious food with an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card that is like a debit card. SNAP benefits can be used at stores across the country and at some farmer's markets. SNAP can help you and your family eat right when money is tight.
To be eligible, households must meet income tests. Combat pay, Hostile Fire pay, and Imminent Danger Pay are not counted as income for SNAP. All other pay and allowances are counted as income. For more information on the income tests, please click here.
	Helpful Links •To see if your family might be eligible, click here. •To apply for SNAP benefits, click here. •To find authorized SNAP retailers in your area, click here.

	The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) Through TEFAP, USDA provides food to State agencies, which in turn provide the food to local agencies – such as food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens.
Veterans who are undergoing difficult economic times may qualify to receive TEFAP foods for household distribution, and may certainly receive meals in congregate settings. Click here for more information.

	Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) Veterans who live on Indian reservations or other approved areas may be eligible to participate in FDPIR. If interested, contact your Indian Tribal Organization or State agency.

	Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) CSFP works to improve the health of low-income seniors 60 years of age and older, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women, other new mothers up to one year postpartum, infants, and children up to age six, by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA foods.
Veterans may qualify for CSFP foods, if the program is available in their area. Click here to find out. *Individuals may not participate in CSFP and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children at the same time.

	The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) WIC provides nutritious food to low income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk. Participants also get information about healthy eating and referrals to health care and other social services.
WIC legislation and regulations also provide State agencies the option to exclude certain housing payments and other allowances provided to military personnel in determining WIC eligibility. These include: • Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) • Family Separation Housing (FSH) • Overseas Housing Allowances (OHA) • Overseas Continental U.S. (OCONUS) Cost-of-Living Allowances (COLA) Click here for more information.

	The National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs The National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs provide nutritious low cost or free meals to children attending participating schools and snacks at certain afterschool care programs.
For all Service Members: • Any in-kind benefit, such base housing, is not considered income. • Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance (FSSA) - By law, the FSSA is not counted as income in determining eligibility for free and reduced-price meals. • Department of Defense overseas schools are eligible to participate in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs; this extends the availability for free and reduced-price meals to children in families stationed overseas. Click here for more information.

	Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Food That's In When School Is Out! During the school year, many children receive free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch through the School Breakfast and National School Lunch Programs. What happens when schools let out?
The SFSP is designed to feed children breakfast and/or lunch during the summer at feeding sites that can include schools, churches, community centers, summer camps, Indian reservations, and more. Click here for more information.

Free Nutrition and Physical Activity Resources
	MyPlate MyPlate was developed by the USDA as an effort to promote healthy eating to consumers. The MyPlate icon is easy to understand and it helps to promote messages based on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
You can visit www.choosemyplate.gov for healthy eating tips, recipes, resources, and games and contests for the whole family.

	Let's Move Let's Move is a comprehensive initiative, launched by the First Lady, dedicated to solving the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams.
You can visit www.letsmove.gov for fun ideas on how to be more physically active and how to eat healthier.

Other Resources for Military and Veteran Families

	USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse - The only nationwide database and hotline that provides immediate assistance to hungry individuals with a direct link to local hunger resources. Visit online or call the toll-free hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY.
	SNAP Pre-Screening Tool - The tool can be used to determine if you may be eligible to receive SNAP benefits.
	WIC Prescreening Tool - The tool can be used to determine if you may be eligible for WIC benefits.
	How To Get Food Help (.pdf) - The brochure clearly explains all FNS programs that you can apply to directly, and it gives you basic information to identify which programs might be right for you.
	Joining Forces - Joining Forces is a national initiative that mobilizes all sectors of society to give our service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned.

Contact Us

Email - getinvolved@fns.usda.gov

FAQs

1. How can I get help feeding my family?

•
Click here to learn about what food help programs you might be eligible for. If you have an emergency need for food, please call the National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY. They will help you find food pantries and other local organizations to get help in your neighborhood.

2. How do I order outreach brochures like "How to Get Food Help?

• Go to snap.ntis.gov to order free SNAP and Team Nutrition materials. The new MyPlate Let’s Eat brochure is also available at this site.

3. How do I stay connected and up-to-date with the latest happenings at FNS?

• FNS has several services to keep you current with the latest happenings with FNS programs and other information related to food and nutrition. Here are some things we have for you:
◦ You can sign up to receive a monthly email from FNS Eupdates - "Your fun, fast, & healthy source for food and nutrition news" by clicking here.
◦ You can check out all Eupdates stories anytime by visiting the Eupdates page here.
◦ Register for and join our many webinars we have each month. Learn, ask questions, share ideas, and get inspired.
◦ Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and read "Food and Nutrition" blog posts on the USDA blog.

4. How do I sign up for FNS social media?

• Download this useful handout to see all the social media tools FNS has to keep you connected and informed.

5. How can I learn more about your webinar schedules or view your
previous recorded webinars?

• Click here to get information about our upcoming webinars and to access previous webinars that have been recorded into webcasts.

6. How do I order nutrition education materials in bulk for classes I teach?

• Visit our Nutrition Education section to find out more and order materials.

7. How can I get involved with improving access to FNS programs?

• Visit our Getting Started page to learn the many different ways you can make eligible people aware of nutrition assistance programs, including partnerships with the Food and Nutrition Service.

8. Does FNS or USDA have any grant opportunities?

• Visit www.grants.gov for an up-to-date listing of all federal government grants.

9. How do I get information about eating healthy, especially on a low budget?

•
Visit choosemyplate.gov to learn about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and how to eat healthy and stay active. This site has information for both adults and children of all ages. You can also visit the SNAP-ED webpage to learn about how to eat healthily even when money’s tight. This site has meal planning information, shopping tips, a recipe database, seasonal food suggestions, and much more.

Last Modified: 04/04/2012


	FNS Home \| FNCS Home \| USDA.gov FOIA \| Accessibility Statement \| Privacy Policy \| Non-Discrimination Statement \| Information Quality \| USA.gov \| White House