--- title: "How to get free emergency groceries from the Military Family Advisory Network right now" description: "Active Duty, Guard, and Reserve military families can get a box of free groceries and a Commissary gift card right now." date: "2025-10-14" modified: "2025-10-14" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/military-news/free-groceries-support-military-families/" categories: - "Family" - "Mighty MilSpouse" - "Military News" tags: - "News" --- # How to get free emergency groceries from the Military Family Advisory Network right now ![emergency free groceries]() *MFAN is offering a free box of groceries, shipping shelf stable stuff and a gift card for fresh food. (U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Thomas Karol)* The government shutdown is dragging on, and a lot of military families out there aren't getting paid. This means there could be a sharp spike in food insecurity among military families. Even if it ends soon, this isn't the first one, and it likely won't be the last. For now, the [Military Family Advisory Network]() (MFAN), a nonprofit with a mission to understand and amplify the needs of military-connected families and inspire data-informed change, is offering real help, right now, for free. All military families need to do is sign up. The way the Emergency Grocery Support program for military families is simple. Active duty, Guard, and Reserve families should apply at [**militarymeals.org**](), verify their service through SheerID, and watch for a link to be emailed back to them (and check their spam box, just in case). There's no point in forwarding the link; there's only one registration per household. "We have boxes of shelf-stable food shipped to their door, plus a Commissary gift card," an MFAN outreach representative told We Are The Mighty in an email. "We started this to give families relief from the possibility of not being paid during the government shutdown. While we’re relieved service members will be paid this time, what happens after the next paycheck is still uncertain. We want to give military families a little peace of mind right now." Boxes ship from Houston, Texas, and take around two to five days to arrive. "We created this to ease stress around the shutdown and the uncertainty after the next paycheck," said the MFAN rep. "Active-duty, Guard, and Reserve households can sign up at [militarymeals.org](). Quick verification, one registration per household, boxes typically arrive in 2–5 days." And don't forget to share this story with another military family who might need to know. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()