The Food, Family and Stress of the Holidays for Veterans
Nov 28, 2024 at 3:51 AM
During the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, it's not difficult to envision the joy of food, family and fun. However, for some veterans, these holidays can become a time of stress. Studies by Feeding America reveal that one in nine working-age veterans are unsure where their next meal will come from. Gerald Britt from Forrest County Veterans Services shares, "I have five food boxes, and at one time, I had over 20 food boxes." Britt works with over 100 local veterans each month at the office. The staff primarily assists them in setting up their VA benefits, but recently, there has been a greater need for food and housing assistance. "We get telephone calls all the time, and people say, 'We didn't even know anything about it,'" Britt said.The Department of Veteran Affairs reports that nearly 33,000 veterans experienced homelessness in January 2024, which is a 7.5% decrease from 2023. Britt also emphasizes that military service does not always guarantee support. He states, "You get ignored. Even though you step out and serve your country, when you come home it's like you don't exist."Cody Abadie from the University of Southern Mississippi's Center For Veterans, Service Members and Military Families explains that the holidays can be a challenging time mentally. According to the National Library of Medicine, veterans facing food insecurity are nearly four times more likely to have thoughts of suicide. "We try to provide outlets for people to focus on getting help and controlling anxiety and depression," Abadie said.The center also has resources dedicated to helping military families put food on the table. They are hosting a toy drive on December 14 to ensure that children have a happy Christmas. It is called a "Rock For Rugrats," where they will have a huge rock march and a toy drive similar to Toys For Tots.Britt remains hopeful that in the future, getting help for veterans will be less of a hassle. He says, "All that we ask is for people to come in and give us an opportunity to see what they might qualify for."Want more WDAM 7 news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.Copyright 2024 WDAM. All rights reserved.
