The Wilmington VA Medical Center debuted a new food pantry this summer for veterans.
Since starting the pantry in June, the VA has distributed more than 60 bags of non-perishable food items to veterans.
Associate Director Kim Butler said rising prices are making food insecurity among veterans a more serious issue.
“We’re looking to expand significantly from where we are. We don’t know what that maximum capacity is yet, but we certainly do know that there are a lot of veterans in our catchment area and under our care who could benefit from this kind of supplemental nutrition.”
Each bag is individualized based on family size and dietary needs.
“When a veteran, and or their family, do a consult with social work and with dietary, the bags are really individualized to what their needs might be,” Butler said.
Veterans must be enrolled with VA services to qualify for the program.
The pantry is stocked entirely through donations, as the VA cannot use federal appropriations to provide the service.
Anyone can donate non-perishable food items to the pantry.
