Vehicles line up at Silver Creek School to take advantage of a recent mobile food pantry. (Journal photo by Dreyma Beronja)

MARQUETTE — Veterans, caregivers and surviving spouses across the Upper Peninsula are still able to apply for the Veteran Food Assistance Program.

Upper Peninsula Commision for Area Progress U.P. Veterans program manager Frank Lombard said the Veteran Food Assistance Program is designed to help address veteran food insecurity with a grocery store gift card or certificate in conjunction with connecting veterans to veteran benefits and services and community resources.

“It’s basically a twofold approach,” Lombard said. “The grocery store gift card obviously isn’t going to solve all their problems. It will give them a few bags of groceries, but it’s better than nothing and it’s free.”

Lombard said UPCAP first started doing outreach long ago with the food pantries whenever there was a Feeding America West Michigan mobile food distribution or food distribution specifically for veterans.

“Some of the members of our outreach team with the Veterans Community Action Team would show up and try to find how many veterans or surviving spouses or family members that we have come in through those lines. How do we find them (and) get them some information about benefits and services to improve their situation,” Lombard said. “When COVID happened, there was a heightened awareness of food insecurity being a big problem amongst those who have served in the military.”

One of the initial partners Lombard said helped fund the gift card and certificates was the Bob Woodruff Foundation.

“(The Bob Woodruff Foundation) has something called the Got Your Six Network and our coalition of veteran service providers in the U.P. is one of those local partners,” Lombard said. “We received some food insecurity funding from the Bob Woodruff Foundation in numerous rounds of grants and we were able to use that to do the food card distributions across the U.P. using various grocery store vendors that offered a food-only restricted card.”

This means applicants who receive the cards or certificates cannot use it for alcohol, tobacco, lottery or cashback.

“That was something that we felt was a good resource,” Lombard said. “Even if somebody was homebound and their caregiver had to apply for them, it made it more accessible.”

Other partnerships that have provided funding are the Superior Health Foundation and the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund.

“Each of those groups has been involved in funding other collaboratives or other organizations to help support food insecurity, so we’re not the only ones who have received funding,” Lombard said. “The trust fund itself had tried to distribute food cards through different grocery stores via the county veteran offices or through some of their staff. Superior Health Foundation has funded numerous initiatives for food security and the Bob Woodruff Foundation funds organizations across the nation.”

Lombard said the food assistance cards and certificates are important for multiple reasons.

“One is that folks can be struggling because of whatever reason and a little bit of assistance can help them out in a time of need,” Lombard said.

He also said that the application provides a low-barrier opportunity in the case of an applicant not having a vehicle or a phone to apply.

“Somebody can still apply on their behalf and it doesn’t cost them anything,” Lombard said. “We wanted to make sure that somebody didn’t have to worry about driving over two counties to try to access a food distribution event or something like that.”

While providing food assistance is a big part of the program, Lombard said the program’s outreach plays a big part in the work UPCAP is doing to connect veterans with resources or Veterans Affairs benefits.

“(Veterans) could end up plugged into programming that’s going to help them get an education, help them get tax-free monthly compensation and really turn their lives around,” Lombard said. “So instead of just a one-time grocery store gift card, possibly now through the connections that were made, they’re getting tax-free income monthly for the rest of their life. You can see by extension, just using this food card programming as a catalyst for outreach has the potential to really make a big impact across the region and change a lot of lives.”

Veterans, National Guard, Reserves, unremarried surviving spouses, caregivers and service providers may apply on behalf of a veteran they are assisting, according to the Veteran Food Assistance card flyer. Applicants must live in the U.P. and first-time applicants receive priority of service.

To apply for the food card, dial 2-1-1 or 1-800-338-1119 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Referrals to additional veteran resources and services will be provided based on self-reported needs during the application process.

Proof of military service such as a Veterans Affairs identification card, DD-214 or other military and veteran documentation must be verified before food cards and certificates can be distributed.

For more information, contact Lombard at lombardf@upcap.org or call 906-282-0041 to coordinate confirmation of military service.

Dreyma Beronja can be reached at 906-228-2500 ext. 548. Their email address is dberonj@miningjournal.net.