Last updated on May 16th, 2023 at 05:38 pm
The Kroger Co. and United Service Organizations have launched two new Mobile Food Kitchens to support military service members.
Through this collaboration, the USO and Kroger provide meals to military personnel, whether they are supporting natural disaster relief, serving in remote locations or at basic training.
“Kroger is making a real difference for America’s service members, from forward deployed bases to the kitchen tables of military families,” said Brian Cowart, USO chief development and marketing officer.
Launched in 2022, the first USO Mobile Food Kitchen sponsored by Kroger is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and has supported National Guard troops deployed to the Southeast to provide aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. The new mobile food kitchens will travel across the U.S. this month to be stationed in Kansas City, Kansas, serving the Midwest and Salt Lake City, Utah, serving the West Coast.
“These mobile food kitchens provide a taste of home and feed the spirit of those who serve our country,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s chairman and CEO.
“We are proud to support our troops through Kroger’s longstanding collaboration with the USO and give back to the military members and families who have sacrificed so greatly for our freedom.”
The Kroger Family of Companies is a supporter of service members and military families, contributing more than $41 million to the USO through corporate funds and customer donations, making it the largest cumulative donor to the USO in the organization’s 82-year history.
To celebrate Military Appreciation Month and the launch of the Midwestern USO Mobile Food Kitchen, more than 100 Kroger employees assembled 2,500 care packages that the USO will distribute to service members as they head out or return from deployments in the coming year.
The Mobile USO Program brings the programs and services of the USO to service members serving in remote areas and to locations without a USO center. The vehicles, which operate in the U.S. and Europe, range in size from smaller sprinter vans to large recreational vehicles and provides an array of support capabilities. In 2022, 19 USO mobile vehicles hosted more than 750 events.
To learn more about the USO, visit USO.org.
