USAA and Honor Through Action Corporate Alliance Serve Military Families at San Antonio Food Bank

This month, more than 300 volunteers from five organizations rolled up their sleeves at the San Antonio Food Bank for the first-ever Honor Through Action Serves Day — supporting military families and veterans facing food insecurity. Held in recognition of Hunger Action Month®, the event brought together volunteers from USAA, H-E-B, Whataburger, the San Antonio Spurs and Accenture for a shared day of hands-on service. They assembled bags of fresh produce, built boxes of pantry staples tailored for families and assisted with meal preparation in the food bank’s kitchen. Every bag, box and meal will go directly to families and veterans served by the San Antonio Food Bank.

“Fighting hunger and feeding hope in the military community takes all of us showing up for our neighbors,” said Eric Cooper, president and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank. “To stand alongside these companies and volunteers to serve the families who have served our country — that is what community looks like. Every bag packed and every meal prepared moves us closer to a San Antonio where no one who wore the uniform has to wonder where their next meal will come from.”

“This is why USAA created the Honor Through Action Corporate Alliance — to leverage the collective strength of companies to make a difference in the lives of those who serve,” said Jenna Saucedo-Herrera, head of corporate impact at USAA. “Taking care of military families in San Antonio is personal for us. Those are our neighbors, our members, our USAA teammates. They’re our family and our friends — and we have to do something about it.”

Nearly 90,000 active-duty service members, veterans and military family members receive support from the San Antonio Food Bank each year. Together, they represent about one in seven neighbors served by the food bank. Their experiences mirror a broader national challenge: the latest Military Family Advisory Network Military Family 360° Survey found that 41.2% of military-connected respondents reported low or very low food security.

That’s why USAA is increasing its national military hunger investment with Feeding America to $1 million annually. The association intends to sustain that support over the next five years through USAA’s Honor Through Action movement, its effort to improve the quality of life of military families. That support builds on the more than $17 million that USAA has provided over the last decade to 31 partner food banks within the Feeding America network, including the San Antonio Food Bank.

“Ending hunger isn’t something any one organization can do alone — it takes the kind of partnership USAA has built with the Feeding America network,” said Denis McDonough, chief executive officer of Feeding America. “Reliable access to nutritious food is foundational to the health and stability of every family. Partnerships like this help strengthen communities while making sure military families, veterans and neighbors across the country have the nutritious food they need to thrive.”

The investment aligns with Honor Through Action’s emphasis on strengthening financial security for those currently serving near major military installations. “Food security is financial security,” said JJ Rowe, corporate impact director at USAA. “When military families don’t have to worry about putting food on the table, they can focus on their families, their future and their mission.”