Craig Newmark Philanthropies Invests in Anti-Hunger Organization Amid Worsening Hunger Crisis for Veterans, Military Families
To address the pervasive and persistent food insecurity among veterans and military families, Craig Newmark Philanthropies announced a $100,000 investment in MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. The grant will support the national anti-hunger organization’s efforts to remove barriers and increase access to food and nutrition for veterans and military families.
“We are grateful for Craig Newmark Philanthropies’ work to honor our national commitment to the veterans and military families who serve and sacrifice for all of us,” said Abby J. Leibman, MAZON President and CEO. “No one in America should experience hunger, but it is especially unconscionable that so many of our nation’s veterans and currently-serving military families don’t know where their next meal is coming from. We look forward to collaborating with the Craig Newmark Philanthropies to further this critical work.”
For nearly 36 years, MAZON has been working to advance policy solutions that confront hunger’s root causes, particularly for populations and problems that have been previously overlooked — including veteran and military hunger. In recent years, MAZON has focused on improving food security screenings and education, deepening understanding of veteran and military hunger among policymakers, facilitating increased interagency cooperation, and advancing policies that remove systemic barriers to safety net programs such as SNAP.
This grant from Craig Newmark Philanthropies comes on the heels of MAZON’s landmark report on food insecurity among military families. The report, ”Hungry in the Military: Food Insecurity Among Military Families in the U.S.”, details the pervasive and persistent problem of military hunger — exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic — and outlines policy recommendations to end this unconscionable hunger crisis.
“Americans owe a lot to the people who protect us,” said Craig Newmark. “We are proud to partner with MAZON to make sure that active-duty servicemembers, veterans, and their families have what they deserve — including food security and more. This is the next step in repaying that debt.”
MAZON is an official partner of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to help veterans identify resources available to facilitate access to nutritious food. MAZON’s persistent work to end hunger among veterans and military families has resulted in greater collaboration between VA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to bridge the gap for veterans and the convening of the first-ever congressional hearings and briefings on veteran food insecurity and food insecurity among military families.