“This is important to us because it makes us feel like we’re doing our part to serve the veterans. For so long, honoring our veterans has been something that has been overlooked. This is just another way to serve and tell our veterans how much we appreciate them.” – Grover Wind
OKMULGEE – Mvskoke veterans came out to volunteer and help their fellow veterans at the Muscogee Nation Veterans Affairs Services Office (VASO) Veterans Food Bank on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at the Mvskoke Dome. The quarterly drive-through event hands out boxes of food to veterans, as well as spouses and widows of veterans. Food boxes and produce were provided by the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. Each recipient received potatoes, carrots, onions, and a box of shelf-stable foods.
This month’s food bank event came at a crucial time when Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds for low-income individuals were frozen on Saturday, Nov. 1 due to this year’s federal government shutdown. After Congress passed a budget to reopen the federal government on Wednesday, Nov. 12, SNAP recipients only started receiving November’s benefits on Thursday, Nov. 13.
VASO Operations Manager Rachel Riddle (Mvskoke) said her favorite aspects of the food bank event are the smiles and visits with veterans who come through the car line. She remarked that both volunteers and recipients enjoy seeing one another. The event serves all veterans, not just Mvskoke veterans.
“I saw a need a long time ago, we initially weren’t doing this for our veterans,” Riddle said. “Not only does this serve our people, it serves other veterans as well. We’re helping out the whole veteran community.”
VASO Secretary Grover Wind (Mvskoke) says two of the most pressing issues for Native veterans are housing and food insecurity. Each food package received from the food bank can potentially help an individual for a month, give or take. Events like these help the department get a grasp of the number of veterans within the Tribe. Wind said that some people get emotional when they receive their food box. He remarked that it is heartbreaking to learn that some people who come through the drive through may starve without help.
“It means more to us because we are helping take care of them,” Wind said. “Food is such a necessity. If food is something they’re not going to worry about, they can focus on other things like where to live, or getting a job.”
MCN Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program (HVRP) Manager Tacia Berryhill (Mvskoke) said her department sees firsthand the food insecurity needs that housing-insecure veterans struggle with every day. According to Berryhill, a lot of veterans have reached out to the Nation because food banks around the Mvskoke Reservation have been struggling to keep their shelves stocked.
“A lot of food banks have gone without food. A lot of programs they were relying on, due to the government shutdown, do not have the funding. A lot of our veterans are relying on events like this to feed their families,” Berryhill said.
Sometimes it can be hard for veterans to request help from their Tribe. According to Berryhill, she received a call from a veteran who felt guilty about approaching her office for help. She understands that VASO events like the food bank are crucial for their veterans’ survival.
National Council Representative Leonard Gouge was present at the event’s front entrance waving in cars and checking off registered names on the sign in sheet. Rep. Gouge is an army veteran and said it gives him a good feeling to serve fellow veterans.
“Especially with the holidays coming around, it fills my heart to put a smile on someone’s face or put food on a plate for somebody,” Rep. Gouge said. “A veteran is always going to be a soldier willing to support and willing to work and step out and do what they need to do.”
The Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma provides volunteer opportunities year round. For those interested in volunteering, visit their website, okfoodbank.org.
