The USM Veterans Center Receives Grant to Address Food Insecurities among Local Veterans

Tue, 02/02/2021 - 09:46am | By: Van Arnold

Food insecurity remains a common issue among many veterans and their families. Statistics show that up to 24 percent of veterans may be food insecure, which is nearly twice that of the United States general population.

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Center for Military Veterans, Service Members and Families, in collaboration with the Mississippi Community Veterans Engagement Board (CVEB), is working to curtail that number in Hattiesburg thanks to a $10,000 grant from the Bob Woodruff Foundation.

This generous gift will support efforts to combat food insecurity for USM military-students, as well as local veterans by providing 67 gift cards in the amount of $150 each for the purchase of healthy foods at the Corner Market grocery store located on Hardy Street in Hattiesburg.

USM Veterans Center staff member David Magola notes that “a simple gesture such as a Corner Market gift card will go a long way in helping a veteran and their family. Even more importantly, it demonstrates that someone out there truly cares.”

This marks the third year that the Bob Woodruff Foundation, located in New York, N.Y., has partnered with the USM center. To date, the group’s contributions total $15,000, which is administered through the USM Foundation.

“We give our most sincere thanks to the Bob Woodruff Foundation and Craig Newmark Philanthropies for this funding,” said Maj. Gen. (ret.) Jeff Hammond, the USM center’s founding director. “As local partners, the center shares the same passion and a similar mission as the CVEB. This funding will allow us to serve those veterans in our community when they are in need.”

For more information on the USM Center for Military Veterans, Service Members and Families please call 601.264.4629 or visit usm.edu/military-veterans.

Founded in 1959, the USM Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to serving the University community by overseeing fundraising efforts to raise private support for scholarships and other academic needs at Southern Miss. For more information on supporting The University of Southern Mississippi, call the USM Foundation at 601.266.5210 or visit usmfoundation.com.