As Americans continue to celebrate our nation's 250th anniversary, it's a natural moment to reflect on those who have made tremendous contributions to this country's safety and freedom, often at significant personal cost. For too many of those families, the challenges don't end when the deployment does.
The Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN), a national nonprofit behind one of the most comprehensive datasets on military family well-being, found in its latest 2025 Military Family 360 Survey that 41.2% of military family respondents reported experiencing low or very low food security, more than double the rate reported just two years ago.
One of the challenges? Frequent relocations, often on short notice, can cost families thousands of dollars out of pocket. Something as basic as keeping the fridge stocked becomes one more thing to figure out during an already hard transition. At Instacart, we believe we have a role to play in changing that.
17 Installations and Counting
That’s why I’m proud to share the next chapter of our partnership with MFAN to support military families when and where they need it most – when they have just arrived at their new homes. Together, we’re expanding their Fresh Funds program, powered by Instacart Health, to installations throughout Hampton Roads, Virginia, and Tampa, Florida, with installations in San Diego and Seattle/Tacoma slated to launch in the coming months. Combined with existing programs at Fort Hood, Fort Bliss, Camp Lejeune, MCAS Cherry Point, and MCAS New River, that brings us to 17 installations across six states and counting.
When MFAN delivers its PCS Pantry Restock Box to newly arriving families, stocked with pantry staples, cleaning supplies, and paper goods, those who need additional food support will also receive a one-time $125 Fresh Funds code for up to three months to order groceries and essentials through Instacart.
Here’s how the program works: MFAN's model starts with a supply box of cookware and household essentials, delivered to newly arriving families following a relocation. From there, families at these seven installations who need additional food support also receive a $125 Fresh Funds grocery stipend to stock up on food and essentials through Instacart.
"Meeting military families where they are — especially during the disruption of a relocation—requires partners like Instacart who share our commitment to making food easier to access.” said Shannon Razsadin, CEO of MFAN. “Together, we're expanding the Fresh Funds program to more communities and making it easier for families to put food on the table during big transitions. Our research shows food insecurity remains a serious challenge for too many military families, and partnerships like this are an important part of the solution."
Beyond the Base
This expansion is just one piece of our larger commitment to supporting food access for military families.
Last fall, I joined Blue Star Families in San Diego for their annual "Fill the Fridge" event. San Diego is home to one of the largest concentrations of active-duty military families in the country — and one of the most expensive places to live. We packed more than 150 food gift bags with Instacart gift cards for recently arrived families so they could go home that night knowing dinner was covered.
More recently, we partnered with Blue Star Families and USA TODAY on "The Shared Table" — a series that ran from Memorial Day through July 4th as part of America 250. Five military families shared recipes that mean something to them, paired with their stories about food, connection, and what it's like to start over somewhere new every few years. The series ran with video hosted by Capri Cafaro and shoppable Instacart ingredient links.
Then, there are our veteran-focused food as medicine efforts.
Last year, Instacart joined the Rockefeller Foundation and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on a Food is Medicine pilot in Syracuse, New York. The program delivers medically tailored groceries — up to $100 per month — to veterans through VA healthcare facilities. It's part of a broader initiative across five states, designed to generate the evidence base that can shift VA food-as-medicine programming from pilot to standard of care.
What's Next
Those who serve give so much. Food access is a small part of what we can give back — but it's real, and it compounds. More bases through MFAN. A broader Blue Star footprint. Helping the VA move food-as-medicine from research into policy. We're in this for the long term.
To learn more about MFAN's Fresh Funds program or support their work, visit mfan.org. Military families eligible for the program can redeem Fresh Funds at instacart.com/freshfunds/mfan.
