Military Family Advisory Network

Build responsive, agile, scalable programs.informed by the data point that 51 percent of military families who had moved in the last 24 months were food insecure, in 2024, mfan expanded its efforts to ease the financial burden military families experience with a recent move. Nearly 2,000 households at fort cavazosa - a location with high food insecurity and high deployment frequency - were served by mfan in 2024. Upon arrival in fort cavazos, families receive a restock kit that provides them with household items that need to be replaced during each move (e.g., pantry staples, cleaning supplies), valued at $150. Families experiencing food insecurity are also provided three months of groceries to help them get on their feet following a military move. This program undergoes continual evaluation, which revealed that 80% of respondents reflected strong satisfaction and enthusiastic support for the program. In addition, 84% of respondents said the box made them feel welcomed, and about one-third shared that they returned to a partner location, where they picked up their box, to access additional community resources.

Strengthen the ecosystem that serves military families.mfan believes in collaboration and leveraging its capabilities to create a collective impact model. To do this, mfan supports peer organization with rigorous program evaluation, allowing for deeper understanding of experiences, defined goals, and measured impact. Mfan supports multiple external organizations through this work, with a potential impact on 127,500 individuals served by the programs mfan evaluates. In 2024 mfan hosted a solution summit, convening over 100 stakeholders to design collaborative solutions to some of the most pressing needs identified in mfan's research. This event yielded a roadmap that was published within 90 days of the event.

Other program services in alignment with the mission include resource connection and collaboration designed to serve military families. One of the most effective ways mfan creates change for military families is through the convening of coalitions. Our coalitions bring together best-in-class partners in both the public and private sectors to share programs and resources, discuss emerging trends, and develop actionable recommendations for those in positions of leadership and influence. In 2021, we targeted three areas of focus financial readiness, food insecurity, and housing. Military family financial readiness coalition (mffrc)mffrc convenes both public and private organizations committed to the financial wellness and stability of military families. This coalition provides an opportunity for organizations with a vested interest in the financial well-being of military families to share ideas, lessons learned, best practices, challenges, and opportunities to more effectively serve our families and respond to their evolving needs. In addition to informing the work of its participants in their financial education efforts and initiatives, the mffrc yields actionable information that educates and informs policymakers.military family food insecurity coalition (mffic)created in 2018, the mffic shares research and resources, raises awareness, and develops solutions that alleviate hunger among our military and veteran communities. The coalition is comprised of military-connected nonprofits, advocacy and education organizations, policymakers, subject matter experts, industry leaders, food banks, and more.military housing roundtable (mhr)the mhr is a network of trusted, best-in-class stakeholders from organizations across the public and private sectors working to ensure that military and veteran families have access to healthy, safe, and affordable housing regardless of where the military sends them. The mhr convenes housing leaders and advocates and builds on best practices to develop and recommend policy and programmatic solutions.