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Committee seeks written referral protocol after reports of veteran food insecurity
Summary
Committee members asked how the Veterans Service office handles reports of food insecurity; the director described immediate-response steps and agreed to provide a written resource/referral list to partner outreach groups.
Committee members raised concerns about veterans experiencing food insecurity and asked how the Veterans Service office responds when contacted.
The director described an immediate-response process: "Immediately, we we investigate the situation. We try to find the root cause of what's going on," and said staff can arrange emergency food deliveries, connect veterans to car-repair assistance, and link them with other VA services. He said the office maintains a resource list that includes food banks and church pantries with varying schedules and that the list will be shared with partners.
A committee member asked whether that information can be given to local outreach volunteers (for example, Community Cover) so they can provide veterans with direct referral information in the field. The director agreed to network with those volunteers and to "put something in in writing" so outreach workers can distribute resource information during contacts.
The committee emphasized coordination to ensure all veterans in need receive information on available resources. No formal policy change or funding decision was made at the meeting; the next step is distribution of the written referral protocol.
