MFAN expands free food program for relocating military families to four more states

Published Jul 29, 06:28 PM UTC

The Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) is expanding its Fresh Funds program to four additional military installations: Naval Station Norfolk and Hampton Roads in Virginia, MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, and upcoming launches in San Diego, California, and Seattle/Tacoma, Washington. The program provides $125 grocery stipends via Instacart for food, beverages, and baby essentials to military families relocating with dependents, regardless of rank. This expansion brings the total to 17 installations across six states. The program was created in response to MFAN research showing over 40% of military families report low or very low food security, and more than 60% of active-duty families paid over $1,000 out-of-pocket for move-related expenses. Since 2024, over 6,000 families have benefited from the PCS Pantry Restock Box program, which includes pantry staples, cleaning supplies, and paper goods delivered to homes.