The Reaching Rural Veterans project aims to collaborate with faith-based food pantries in rural areas to provide resources and services to at-risk veterans and their families. Faith-based organizations will receive small grants and training materials to help serve and support local military families by addressing their needs for food, shelter, and employment. Participating food pantries will also help connect veterans to additional services and participate in surveys to assess the needs of rural communities. The project partners include the VA Office of Rural Health, VA Faith-Based Initiatives, USDA, and Purdue University programs which seek to improve lives of veterans through community outreach.

1. The purpose of the Reaching Rural Veterans project is to
collaborate with faith-based food pantries in rural areas,
bringing communities together to provide resources
and services that address the needs of at-risk veterans and
their families. Addressing needs for food, shelter and
employment can establish relationships and build trust that
can lead to stronger bonds between faith-based communities
and the military and veteran population.
Faith-based food pantries will be invited to complete an application to receive a
small grant and resource toolkit that can assist in understanding low income,
homeless and at-risk veterans and their families and reaching out to meet their
physical and spiritual needs.
As part of the grant process, faith-based communities will be provided with materials to educate them on the strengths
and struggles of military and veteran families. They will be provided with assistance to reach out to veteran- and
military-specific service organizations provide services for at-risk veterans and their families at faith-based food
pantries. MFRI will connect to veteran- and military-specific services. Faith-based food pantries may also be asked to
participate in the Point-in-Time Count to assist in correctly counting homeless veteran and families, which can impact
monetary aid and resources for at-risk veterans and their families in the rural areas being served through Reaching
Rural Veterans.
Participating Organizations
The mission of the VHA Office of Rural Health is to improve access and quality of care for enrolled rural and highly
rural veterans by developing evidence-based policies and innovative practices to support the unique needs of veterans
residing in geographically remote areas. This is consistent with the goals of the collaborating partners in this pilot
project: the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University (a land grant institution), Purdue Extension, VA
Office of Faith-Based Initiatives and Neighborhood Partnerships and United States Department of Agriculture to reach
out to military families and provide services in rural communities through faith-based food pantries.
»» The VA Office of Rural Health works to optimize the use of available and emerging technologies, establish new access points
to care, and employ strategies to increase health care options for all rural veterans.
http://www.ruralhealth.va.gov
»» The VA Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships develop partnerships with, provide relevant information
to, and expand participation of faith-based, nonprofit, and community/neighborhood organizations to better serve the needs
of veterans and their families. http://www1.va.gov/cfbnpartnerships
»» The United States Department of Agriculture oversees education, production, research and many other areas relating to
food, the environment and farming. http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome
»» Through research and outreach, the Military Family Research Institute works closely with collaborators to improve the
lives of veterans and military families. https://www.mfri.purdue.edu/about/mission.aspx
»» Purdue University Extension is one of the nation’s largest providers of scientific research-based information and education
providers of practical solutions to issues by providing information and expertise.
https://extension.purdue.edu/Pages/article.aspx?intItemID=1922#.UxX07fRdXfM
For more information, please contact Martina Sternberg at MFRI at msternbe@purdue.edu or 765-496-3469.
https:// www.mfri.purdue.edu/programs/reaching-rural-veterans.aspx