About Uniting for Veterans
Together with Humana®, the VFW's Uniting for Veterans program, formerly known as Uniting to Combat Hunger & Homelessness, was established to address the diverse and evolving needs of the military and veteran communities. From fighting food insecurity and homelessness, to providing resources to help improve quality of life for all service members and veterans, the Uniting for Veterans program is our united commitment to doing all we can for America's heroes and their families who have sacrificed so much for our country.
The Sad Truth
Food insecurity, not being able to have access to enough nutritionally adequate foods to live an active and healthy life is something no one in the U.S. should have to worry about, including our nation’s service personnel, veterans and military families. Uniting for Veterans actively works to address food insecurity across America with an emphasis on the military community. Statistics from Feeding America, the nation’s largest food bank organization, state that about 1 in 4 Afghan and Iraq war veterans are affected by food insecurity. A recent survey from Blue Star Families identified that 14% of enlisted, active-duty households reported facing difficulty putting food on the table and need to rely on food bank donations to feed their families. On any single night over 37,000 veterans are homeless in America.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), data shows that on a single night in January 2024, 32,882 veterans experienced homelessness in America — a record low in veteran homelessness since measurement began in 2009. The data also show a 7.5% decrease in Veteran homelessness since 2023, an 11.7% decrease since 2020, and
a 55.6% decrease since 2010, but all of this comes comes at a time when overall homelessness in America is at an all-time high.
The Uniting for Veterans program works closely with the nonprofit Volunteers of America, one of the nation’s largest providers of affordable housing and homeless shelters. Volunteers of America is one of the nation’s largest, established comprehensive human services organizations with 15,000 mission-driven professionals, dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. Founded in 1896, the faith-based nonprofit has programs in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, serving more than 2 million people a year.
Our Impact
In 2025 alone, Uniting for Veterans raised more than 800,000 meals and 325 nights of housing for homeless veterans. To date, the VFW and Humana® have provided more than 5.5 million meals for food insecure families, facilitating over 1 million meals annually since 2020!
Helping Our Local Communities
VFW Posts and Auxiliaries are integral to making a positive dent in food insecurity and veteran homelessness. That's why the VFW Foundation established the Uniting for Veterans Grant which, restricted to VFW Posts and Auxiliaries, is a matching donation grant of up to $1,500 for monetary, food or item donations to local food banks, pantries or homeless relief organizations in their communities. The VFW Foundation will provide a $1 match for every pound of food or dollar donated to food insecurity organizations. The VFW Foundation will provide a $1 match for every $1 spent purchasing qualified items to donate to a homeless shelter or a $1 match for every $1 donated to a homeless relief organization. A minimum of 500 pounds or $500 must be met each time you are submitting an application in order to qualify. Applications from a VFW Post must be submitted on the Dashboard. VFW Auxiliaries applying for a VFW UFV Grant can find the application here once the application period opens. Please note, funds are not provided directly to VFW Posts or Auxiliaries. If approved, funds are submitted to the donation location listed on the application.
For more details on the UFV Grant or to apply, visit vfwfoundation.org/Grants.
For more information about Uniting for Veterans, please contact the VFW Foundation at foundation@vfw.org.