El Cajon Elks Lodge hosts Food 4 Warriors assistance to active-duty military and veterans

An hour is not a long span of time. But when an entire hour is dedicated to providing food assistance to active-duty military and veterans at risk of going hungry, that is truly valuable, lasting time.

An hour is not a long span of time. But when an entire hour is dedicated to providing food assistance to active-duty military and veterans at risk of going hungry, that is truly valuable, lasting time.

The numbers are troubling, even if a bit hazy. Expert analysts of food insecurity in America say that veterans of military service are at almost double the risk of hunger of that among the general population. These difficult challenges of not having enough food also extend to active-duty troops and their families. Defense Department officials have noted that food pantries operate on nearly all Navy and Marine Corps military bases.

“Food insecurity” is the phrase for going hungry or lacking sufficient food for health and wellness.)

Why does this happen to those who’ve dedicated a portion of their lives to protecting and defending the country and their fellow citizens? For veterans, significant factors involve service-connected disabilities and the concomitant lengthy wait times for processing of disability claims from the Veterans Administration. For those currently serving, causes include low pay among lower-ranking service members, high levels of unemployment for military spouses, large family households, and financial problems associated with reassignments and deployments.

An effort known as Food 4 Warriors, just over a year in operation under the umbrella of nonprofit charity Us 4 Warriors has arrived to rectify this intolerable situation. On March 24, a team of volunteers with the Food 4 Warriors program arrived well before 11 a.m. at the El Cajon Elks Lodge to help finalize one hour’s distribution of food assistance to military service members, veterans and their families.

Around 20 military-connected families signed up for the help. The family of a disabled quadriplegic veteran in Spring Valley was slated to receive a food delivery in the afternoon.

This was the first-ever East County distribution that Food 4 Warriors staged. Many of the volunteers are active-duty sailors, who helped by filling large grocery bags amply supplied with nutritious food, and carrying the bags to vehicles of recipients of the food assistance.

Don Sauter, Exalted Ruler of El Cajon Elks Lodge #1812, said that the event was “terrific,” and that the Elks as an organization are especially devoted to serving children and veterans.

“No other organization donates more money annually to their causes than the Elks do. We always say that as long as there are any veterans we will never forget them,” he said.

Tony Stewart, CEO and president of Us 4 Warriors, expressed appreciation for that sentiment, “We’re really happy to have gained this partnership with the Elks in El Cajon," said Stewart. "The warmth that has been shown to us from the get-go has been wonderful. Don leaped at the opportunity to support us in staging this first-ever effort in East County. The Elks are an outstanding organization.”

Will C, a Los Angeles-based stand-up comedian, was also on hand for the first time to support the food assistance project. “I am really impressed with the volunteers,” Will C began in explaining his involvement. “I love to see communities helping communities, especially veterans helping other veterans. This is a good group of people here. And we are happy to be partnering with Tony Stewart.” Will C founded the organization Veterans of Comedy in 2014, as a group of military veterans who perform stand-up comedy professionally.

Stewart further praised the special support the Elks delivered to the volunteers with Food 4 Warriors that day, by buying a Chipotle lunch for each of the volunteers. The Elks Lodge was the first host site to feed volunteers as acknowledgement of their service in the effort.

One volunteer, Matt Farotte, is on active duty with the Navy, and he has been working at these events since last fall. “This is wonderful for active duty and veterans,” Farotte said. “What Tony has done is outstanding as help to people in need. What a great cause, this is really good.”

Sauter said that the Elks were delighted to provide lunches for volunteers, as the local Chipotle restaurant, located at 225 Jamacha Road, had agreed to participate with donations for Elks children’s programs of 35 percent of proceeds during the lunchtime hours of 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. that day.

Dan Sutton, an associate with Us 4 Warriors, has worked on this program for around a year and a half, he said. He said that these food distribution events are put together every month, rotating among sites around San Diego County. The nonprofit veteran's assistance group hopes to host the next East County food distribution in August.

Stewart noted that this was the final food drop paid for by corporate sponsor Sundt Construction, and that each such event costs $500. Stewart is actively seeking new corporate sponsors eager to provide this help to military service members and their families.

Sign-up for the food distribution is online, providing anonymity for those on active duty who might otherwise hesitate to ask for help that could become known within their chain of command. More information on upcoming monthly food distribution sites is available online at the website www.Us4Warriors.org.