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Special Edition Thursday Three!
November 12, 2020
This last week has been rough for us all. Sure – there was the Marine Corps’ birthday (ya’ll are looking great at 245 years young!) and Veterans Day (we appreciate veterans every day). But there was also the aftermath of an election (which hasn’t been fun for anyone regardless of personal politics) and lots of charts and grids that suggest COVID-19 isn’t going away anytime soon.
We’ve got an amazing week ahead in the works and think that may be just the salve we all need. So, let’s dive into this Special Edition Thursday Three and share some good news!
Here’s what we’re hearing about this week:
They are indeed mighty
In case you missed it, on Tuesday, We Are The Mighty announced its Mighty 25 Influential People Supporting the Military Community in 2020 – a list of the greatest movers, shakers, and difference-makers for the military and veteran communities.
“The Mighty 25 is a recognition We Are The Mighty bestows each year on individuals in the military community that have gone above and beyond. In partnership with the Military Influencer Conference, We Are The Mighty recognizes the change makers in the veteran, active duty, and military family space. Selectees are advocates utilizing their influence and voices to impact policies; entrepreneurs with a passion for service; disrupters forcing accountability and meaningful change; volunteers giving so much of themselves to better our world; and leaders whose vision and actions inspire us all. The Mighty 25 encompasses everything it takes to truly Be Mighty.”
We’re ridiculously excited about this for two reasons.
First, MFAN’s own president and executive director, Shannon Razsadin, was named to this list! (We’ve known how amazing she is all along, but we love that she’s received this well-deserved recognition.) Check out MIGHTY 25: Meet Shannon Razsadin, a champion for military families everywhere. (WATM did a great job of capturing Shannon’s super powers!)
That second reason we’re excited? She’s in phenomenal company. The whole list, the names you recognize and the names you may not, is proof that there is a stellar group of people and organizations working hard to make sure the needs of military and veteran families are being met. And that is something that helps us sleep better at night!
You need to check out this year’s list (spoiler alert – you might see the words “Prince Harry.”) Click here.
Shop for good
It’s already November. How did that happen? Whether you’re firmly in the “No Christmas-related things until after Thanksgiving” camp or already dancing around your house singing holiday songs and decorating all the things, it’s not too early to start thinking about your holiday shopping. (And Hanukkah comes early this year – starting the evening of December 10th!)
What if we told you that your holiday shopping could help MFAN fight food insecurity? It’s true! We’re so excited to partner with Kendra Scott to bring you a two-day Shop for Good event. On November 16th and 17th, 20% of your purchase online and in participating stores will benefit MFAN’s military family food insecurity initiative. (Keep reading – we share more about that next!)
Learn all about this event (and how to totally justify your love of beautiful jewelry) here.
Bonus points if you share this with your friends and family!
State of the State: Texas Research report
Military Family Advisory Network’s (MFAN) research over three years revealed alarming trends in the numbers of military families facing food insecurity. One in in eight survey respondents in 2019 reported experiencing food insecurity. Our data showed that survey respondents in Texas were experiencing higher frequencies of food insecurity among national respondents, with one in six families struggling to provide enough food for their families.
Just as military family experiences and needs vary by location, so too must our response to those needs. Finding a solution will only come from diving deeper into the research, convening partners locally, and committing ourselves to finding the root causes of this issue. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.
Join us on November 19, 2020 at 1 p.m. CST (2:00 p.m. EST) as we take the next step toward finding a data-driven solution to military family food insecurity – a regional strategy focused on combatting military family food insecurity in Texas.
Our president and executive director, Shannon Razsadin, and senior director of research and program evaluation, Dr. Shelley Kimball, will lead an hour-long discussion with Q&A as we share our State of the State: Texas report. And Ron Corning, host of the CW33’s Morning After (based in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas), will be emceeing!
This event is free, and open to everyone, but registration is required, so make sure to reserve your spot here.
Then, we encourage you to invite friends and colleagues who share your commitment to securing a better future for military families. Solving military family food insecurity will require time and effort, and together, we can work to ensure hunger is not a battle military families have to fight.