Navy Federal, Feeding America Working to End Military Hunger in San Diego

This month, Navy Federal Credit Union and Feeding America teamed up to launch their annual No Plate Left Behind initiative, helping active duty service members, veterans and their families experiencing hunger in the San Diego area.

No Plate Left Behind leverages a unique augmented reality experience by inviting you to fill up a virtual plate of food and donate to Feeding America that supports the distribution of that meal to a Veteran or military family in need. The mobile-friendly design creates an easy-to-use, interactive donating experience, especially for younger consumers.

In 2023, 1 in 5 military-connected families and 1 in 4 families on Active Duty experienced food insecurity, according to the Military Family Advisory Network. Additionally, 27% of 9/11 Veterans are food insecure and 59% of income-eligible veterans are not enrolled for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). These statistics continue to increase with food insecurity among these families and individuals up compared to 2022.

A banking institution focused on helping military families and individuals, Navy Federal was interested in finding ways to expand their community outreach program, and ultimately decided to focus on the widespread issue of food insecurity within military communities, families, and individuals. San Diego is one of multiple regions No Plate Left Behind is centered in, due to its large military presence, as well as the presence of multiple Navy Federal and Feeding America branches in the city.

Through October 31, individuals can participate in No Plate Left Behind by donating to Feeding America. For every $5, that’s the equivalent of 50 meals. Users can visit www.noplateleftbehind.com or scan the QR code on No Plate Left Behind printed materials and digital signs at a Navy Federal branch location to contribute to veterans and their families. One hundred percent of donations will be provided for unrestricted use toward each food bank’s areas of greatest need and to support the Active Duty military and Veteran community in their service areas.

Navy Federal is kickstarting this year’s efforts by donating 500,000 meals to Feeding America. In addition, to the work Navy Federal is providing San Diego’s military community, the credit union is also providing a variety of hands-on ways for all employees to give back to their communities through non-perishable food drives at multiple Navy Federal campuses, volunteer opportunities at local Feeding America food banks, and educational events exploring hunger challenges facing different communities.

Last year, No Plate Left Behind raised over $132,000, totaling 1.32 million meals, to contribute to Feeding America food banks nationwide with large military populations in their service areas. Additionally, Navy Federal team members donated more than 3,500 pounds of food to local food banks across the country. This year, Navy Federal hopes to beat their record for number of meals contributed and total money raised.