Grunt Style Foundation Food Deployment - Scott AFB, 2023
It was a hot one but the day was beautiful!
There wasn’t a cloud in the sky on June 24th, 2023 as volunteers poured into Eckert’s Farm in Belleville, IL to prep for a day of giving. By 8am the semi’s of goods had arrived and the volunteers from Eckert’s staff were unloading pallet-after-pallet and box-after-box into the giant field of green across from the locally renowned apple-picking farm.
Grunt Style Foundation, in partnership with YAIPak Outreach and Convoy of Hope, distributed over 40,000 lbs. of food that day, along with useful household items, to junior enlisted active duty military families from Scott Air Force Base and local veterans facing food insecurities.
Over 550 military families were served, providing items such as paper towels, toiletries, laundry soap, cleaning supplies, and of course, some Grunt Style swag. Children were offered coupons for an Eckert's treat—a hard choice between an ice cream cone or an apple cider donut that melts in your mouth—and then encouraged to play at the farm amusement park free of charge. These events are not solely about providing much-needed supplies; they are also an opportunity for the participants to enjoy quality time together and connect with other local families. That is exactly what happened in Belleville as the seemingly never-ending line of cars drove through the GSF Deployment line for four hours straight. Drivers and passengers were smiling, chatting with the volunteers, and even getting out of their cars to dance to the music filling the air.
This effort would not have been possible without the assistance of over 60 volunteers from Scott Air Force Base and local community members who worked up to 7 hours in near-100 degree heat to ensure that every family was served quickly and cheerfully. Each wearing a Grunt Style shirt and some even waving our foundation flags to create an atmosphere of family and fun. We were able to make a significant difference in the lives of many individuals and families in need thanks to their generosity, dedication, and unwavering commitment.
Food insecurity is a complicated issue, and several factors contribute to its prevalence among all military and veteran-connected families. Spouse unemployment and underemployment, lack of home-ownership, lack of savings/emergency funds, income changes, poor health status, the cost of child care, and social isolation are some of the unique challenges that past and present military families face. All of these factors can have an impact on food security.
Grunt Style Foundation Deployments provide donated goods and services in a drive-through setting to Junior Enlisted, National Guard, Reserve, and Veteran families. Grunt Style Foundation provides resources to our brave men and women in uniform who deserve nothing less than our utmost respect and support at military installations across the United States. No active service member or veteran should ever face food insecurity, and we will work tirelessly to eliminate this issue once and for all.
Since the beginning of our Food Deployment campaign, we have participated in 9 deployments with military installations across the country, donating over 360,000 pounds of food and supplies to over 3000 families in need. In 2023, we will have two more Deployment events:
September, 2023 - San Antonio, TX
November, 2023 - Springfield, MO
Keep an eye out on our events section of our website for updates, times and locations for these upcoming events!
Without the help of patriots like you, none of this would be possible! If you want to be a part of our next Deployment Campaign consider making a donation today.
Local news coverage of the GSFD Scott AFB event.
