You may have seen the news today about Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) and SNAP expansion. Here’s the scoop: President Biden signed an executive order calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Congress to issue new guidance that allows states to increase the emergency benefits available via P-EBT and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to ensure…
By Shannon Razsadin, President and Executive Director, Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) and Joseph Kopser, Board Member, MFAN; Special Advisor for Military Leadership and Strategy Policy, University of Texas at Austin On Saturday morning I woke up to a message from a military family distraught about the delay in early pay, which was…
Happy Thursday and Happy National Veterans and Military Families Month! Every November we honor and recognize military families and the sacrifices they make to support their service members. Interested in learning more? Click here. In last week’s Thursday Three, we shared details about a special partnership between MFAN and Kendra Scott (and how that…
Another Thursday, and we’re so glad you’re here! In case you missed it, we celebrated National Day of the Deployed on Monday – a chance to honor those who have deployed or are currently deployed and the families who stand by their side. And MFAN’s senior director of research and program evaluation, Dr. Shelley…
Happy Thursday! We’ve got news to share and your “to do” list for the week ahead all right here. Some important items to add to your “to do” list… (1) Vote! (Read what Executive Director Shannon Razsadin shared with We Are The Mighty about the top issues facing military families this election and why…
So glad you’re here! In last week’s Thursday Three we mentioned that October is Financial Planning Month and shared some finance-related resources. Did you know that October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month? Learn more about how prevalent intimate partner violence is in the military and veteran community, and how our community experiences and perceives such violence here….
Voting as a military family during a global pandemic Voting in this year’s election looks very different than in elections past. For many military families, we’re watching the rest of the country scramble to figure out how to vote the way we’ve been voting for years! Whether you’re new to voting as a military-connected person…
These days, between working at home and homeschooling our kids, most of our lives seem spent glued to screens. But what if that time wasn’t another of a million Zoom calls? Or a teacher trying to corral a group of kids via video? What if instead, you and your whole family could spend…
Happy Thursday! Did you know that October is Financial Planning Month? This is a great time to think about your finances – before diving headfirst into holiday spending. Need a head start? We talk about everything from getting out of crisis mode to investing on the MFAN blog. Our researchers, Drs. Michele Kimball and Jennifer Hurwitz,…
Normally, this is the point in this weekly communication where we’d wish you a happy Thursday (we still do), but this edition is particularly serious. Right as we close out Suicide Prevention Month, the Department of Defense 2019 Annual Suicide Report is released. We talk more about it below. We’ve got a…
Happy Thursday! Lots to catch you up on. We’ve been tracking and updating you regularly on the services’ efforts to be more diverse. THIS is what getting diversity right looks like. Well done, Air Force! MFAN’s Advisory Board members held their monthly meeting recently, and they shared some of the questions and challenges…
Happy Thursday! It’s been an action-packed week here at MFAN. On Tuesday, the Military Family Financial Readiness Coalition (MFFRC) held its quarterly meeting. The goal of this coalition and these roundtable meetings is to build collaboration and open lines of communication among those who work to support military family financial readiness. …
It may not feel like Thursday, especially with the long weekend that just passed, but here we are again. This week starts an exciting (and perhaps challenging) shift for most folks as we transition into new schedules and routines. We’ll continue to share information and resources to make those transitions easier. Speaking…
Back to school season. Cue the round of deep sighs…. We’re talking about it in a blog this week, complete with resources to support you and your favorite military kids during a school year like no other. Also this week, MFAN participated in two panels at the (virtual) Association of Military Banks of America (AMBA) Fall Workshop – talking about how to best ensure military…
Happy Thursday! This past week registration opened for the Military Spouse Entrepreneur Virtual Launch Camp, an online workshop designed specifically for military spouses interested in exploring the field of entrepreneurship. This event, a collaboration between MFAN and SEED SPOT, is made possible by the Association of Military Banks of America. Interested? Register here. Executive…