We ask our service members to put their lives on the line for our country. In return, far too many struggle to put food on the table.

“I am a disabled Marine Corp Veteran. I need help with getting the food because I don't drive. If it's possible, I'd be grateful!” -Theresa, Lemontree user

The numbers tell a sobering story: 1 in 4 military families experience food insecurity, more than double the rate of their civilian counterparts. Similarly, 1 in  4 veterans struggle to afford basic needs.

A Crisis Hidden in Plain Sight

What makes military food insecurity particularly insidious is how invisible it remains. Despite the need for more assistance, only 8% of all veterans receive SNAP. This gap between need and access isn't an accident. It's the result of systemic barriers that keep people from getting the help that's already available. 

The patchwork of available resources–from food pantries to SNAP to veteran-specific programs–can be overwhelming to navigate. While many service members and veterans don't know they’re eligible for federal assistance, millions of others don’t qualify at all, despite being unable to afford basic needs.

“I just am in desperate need of help with food. I’m all alone and on a tight veterans death and indemnity income. My husband was a Marine and died in service. I can't get any help with anything because the government says I make too much. I get $1,450 a month. It only barely pays bills, none left for food.” -Kristy, Lemontree user

Perhaps most damaging of all is the stigma: the deeply ingrained belief that asking for help is a sign of weakness, that accepting food assistance diminishes the honor of service.

Finally, there are practical barriers: inconsistent information about pantry hours, unclear eligibility requirements, and a lack of honest insight into what the experience of seeking help actually looks like.

The result? Thousands of food pantries sit ready to serve, but the families who need them most never walk through the door.

The Human Cost

More than 1.4 million active duty and veteran families will not receive full SNAP payments in November, and many more will not receive full, or even partial paychecks for over a month. The consequences of military food insecurity extend far beyond hunger. Research shows a direct correlation between food insecurity in veterans and increased depression and suicidal ideation.

We cannot ignore this connection. Glori Fernandez of Objective Zero notes that “military readiness depends on stability and well-being. Food insecurity undermines both, making it impossible to expect full preparedness from those struggling to take care of their families, who already sacrifice so much.”

At Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Megan Rowley is combating on-base food insecurity, leading the nation’s first-ever licensed pantry on an Air Force base. The pantry has seen a drastic increase in visits–in just weeks, they’ve gone from serving an average of 13.6 families to 91.5 families per week. On top of the families they serve, she’s aware that there are thousands of families who continue to work daily for no pay, preventing them from visiting pantries or finding other sources of income.

When we allow those who serve to struggle with food insecurity, we're not just failing to meet a basic need. We’re contributing to a mental health crisis that is already claiming too many lives. Every policy decision that makes food assistance harder to access, every shutdown that delays paychecks, and every bureaucratic hurdle that stands between a military family and a meal carries real consequences, measured in mental health, stability, and hunger.

Building a Better System

Here's the encouraging truth: this is a problem we know how to solve. What's missing is the bridge between resources that exist, and the people who need them.

That's where technology and community partnership become transformative. By meeting military families where they are with tools they actually use, by providing reliable information and honest feedback from others who've been there, by easing stigma with personalized support and dignified treatment, we can fundamentally change access to food assistance–that’s our mission at Lemontree.

We must prioritize reducing stigma and information barriers. We must listen to military families about what actually works and build systems around their lived experience.

Those who serve deserve a nation that invests in their well-being—not with empty gratitude, but with dignity, support, and the basic security of knowing where their next meal will come from. The question isn't whether we can solve military food insecurity. It's whether we will.

“I'm a disabled vet and Lemontree has been wonderful at letting me know where to find assistance." -Michael, Lemontree user