Meals alleviate concerns about food budget for local veteran

Chris, a veteran receiving meals in Minneapolis.

When Chris, a 53-year-old Navy veteran in Minneapolis, lost access to increased SNAP benefits, he was nervous about his food budget. “When they took that away, that was a big deal,” he says, referencing an end to a pandemic-era addition to the program last February, also known as food stamps.

He worried that with $90 less per month to pay for food, he’d have to dip into the budget he’d normally use for housing, bills and other living expenses. He wasn’t sure how he would make ends meet. Then his counselor who he was working with through Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV) connected him with Meals on Wheels.

“I gotta tell you, it has been a blessing,” says Chris. “It really has.”

Chris broke his hip when he fell at work five years ago, and compounding health problems prevented him from going back to work as a machinist.

“I got hooked up with MACV about a year and a half ago,” he said. “I was going through a really tough transitional phase. I was looking at probably being homeless. They helped me out a lot.”

Thanks to funding from the Minnesota Legislature that covers the cost of meals for veterans who are at risk of hunger or social isolation, Meals on Wheels and MACV have been working together to serve veterans like Chris.

“The meals not only help me with being able to make it through the month a little better, but they’re more well-rounded than I’d able to do on my own,” he says. Chris would not be able to afford the variety of ingredients that offer the nutritional balance of an average meal from Meals on Wheels.

“I was absolutely pleased with the quality,” he says. “You can tell that the people who are putting them together know what they are doing.”

The Veterans Meal Program aims to help veterans who may not qualify for meals based on other criteria. Derek Holt, homeless programs supervisor at the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, says that for veterans like Chris who are in danger of homelessness, nutritional support can make a big difference.

Meals on Wheels is proud to have served 125 veterans through this program since it began late last year. With many veterans struggling with housing instability and social isolation at higher rates than the general public, the program helps them stay connected and nourished.

For Chris, it’s alleviated concerns about affording food in addition to other necessities. He said he’s also appreciated visits from the people who deliver the meals. He hopes that in the future, he’s healthy enough to volunteer for Meals on Wheels as a way of giving back for the help he’s received.

“I can’t say thank you enough for how much it’s appreciated,” Chris says.

For veterans who could benefit from receiving meals

Meals on Wheels has additional capacity to serve veterans in need of meals thanks to a partnership with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs.

To be eligible, veterans must be:

  • age 60+ or,
  • experiencing food insecurity or,
  • unable to obtain food because of a medical or mental health condition

Veterans interested in receiving meals should call Meals on Wheels at 612-623-3363.

Photo courtesy of Kim North, MACV.