Fall 2014

Military families receive food assistance according to

hunger study
Feeding America released
their 2014 hunger study and
concluded that 20% of
households surveyed housed
someone who has either
served in the military in the
past or is presently serving.
The families surveyed were
using Feeding America
programs for food and/or
groceries, indicating that
20% of those utilizing feeding
programs were either
military or veterans.



would be denied.
As a faith based organization
serving military and veteran
populations, not only is
important to help feed these
families, but it is also important
to help ensure military personnel
and veterans have the
knowledge and resources to
apply for government aid to
access food. See What is SNAP?
for more information about how
to apply for government aid.
In this issue
2. What is SNAP? Understand government food assistance program
2, 3. Women in the military may be at higher risk for PTSD post-
deployment Learn more about gender differences post-deployment
3. Free online tutorials Check out online tutorials to help guide you when
working with military families
Military Families and Veteran Providers Network

Special Interest Section
Provided by:
For I was hungry and you
gave me food, I was thirsty
and you gave me drink, I was
a stranger and you
welcomed me.
Matthew 25:35

The study stated that in total
620,000 military families were
receiving meals and/or
groceries from Feeding America
partners annually.
Why is this important?
As many as 62% of surveyed
participants turn to faith based
organizations for food annually.
Many reported that they did not
apply for government aid
because they did not know the
requirements and felt they would

Lorem Ipsum
What is SNAP?
Supplemental. Nutrition.
Assistance. Program.
Eligibility Requirements:
Resources:
$2000 in countable
resources
$3250 in countable
resources if the
person is 60+ years
old or disabled
Income:
130% of the Poverty
Level (Gross Monthly
Income)**
100% of Poverty Level
(Net Monthly Income)
**
**Limits are higher in Alaska
and Hawaii, please check
government website for
allowed deductions.

For more information on how
to apply and eligibility
information, click HERE

The war in Iraq and
Afghanistan has led to an
increase in the number of
women who are entering into
combat situations. In 2011,
214,098 women were serving
active duty, accounting for
10% of all military personnel
deployed in the Iraqi and
Afghani conflicts; with 31% of
women deploying twice and
7% deploying three times.
A study using the
Milennium Cohort Data
wanted to analyze women
returning from combat
situations to determine
womens rate of Post-
Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD) in relation to mens.
The study was able to report
that higher levels of combat
exposure rather than combat
type, often result in women
having higher rates of PTSD.
Combat exposure was
defined as; witnessing any of
the following: death due to
war, disaster, tragic events,
physical abuse, death or
dying; maimed soldiers or
civilians, or prisoners of war
or refugees.
When the study
adjusted for combat, PTSD
was 2.5 times higher in
women than men post-
deployment, noting that
higher levels of combat were
more strongly associated with
Women in the military may be at
higher risk for PTSD post-
deployment


3

PTSD among women.
Although this study is
specific to women who were
deployed in Afghanistan and
Iraq, it is now important to
consider since as of 2013
woman are allowed combat
roles in the military. This
means we need to consider
how women may be affected
as they return home since
studies have shown that
women experience higher
rates of PTSD when they are
exposed to higher rates of
combat.
To understand more
about PTSD and what it is, you
can check out the FREE online
tutorials presented by the
University of Tennessee
College of Social Work in the
right hand column.

Check out these free
online tutorials!
The University of
Tennessee College of
Social Work is providing
FREE online tutorials to
help those serving
military populations and
their families. Click HERE
to register. Topics
include:
Introduction to
Military Culture
Traumatic Brain
Injury and Post-
Traumatic Stress
Disorder
Military Social Work
Domestic Violence
and Substance
Abuse in the Military

MFVPN Steering Committee
Mark Taylor, Chair Christine Lai Irene Ward
Tanya Thomas Michael Allen Fr. Ragan Schriver, Staff
J oseph Buransky Tony Brown
We need your help!
The goal of this newsletter is to share stories, trends, and practices with each other.
If you have any ideas for a write up, or would like to contribute to our next
newsletter, contact Fr. Ragan Schriver at: rschriver@catholiccharitiesusa.org