America’s Second Harvest, in a new collaborative effort with the National Guard, makes sure that the families of active National Guard units needing food assistance can find information about local hunger- relief agencies at Family Assistance Centers across the country.

Throughout the America’s Second Harvest network, there has been an increase in the number of Guard and reserve families asking for emergency food assistance. In spite of the generous support provided by Family Assistance Centers and a network of state and federal laws designed to ease the financial hardship that can accompany activation, there are some families of activated Guard members who are experiencing serious budget problems and, as a result, are having problems keeping up with mortgages and other family expenses.

The hardships facing Guard and Reserve families are, for the most part, temporary. America’s Second Harvest can help make things a little easier for some of these families through pantries that provide, on average, three days worth of food, estimated at fifteen dollars per person, which provides a savings of sixty dollars for a family of four. By easing the burden of where the next meal is coming from, families of service men and women can stay strong until their loved ones come home.

America’s Second Harvest works with the National Guard's Family Assistance Centers in several ways. Where necessary, its network of hunger-relief programs establishes self-contained emergency food pantries within Center facilities. In addition, families needing food assistance are provided with information about existing charitable hunger-relief agencies in the communities in which National Guard and Reserve family members live.

If you know of a National Guard member’s family needing assistance, please refer it to the Nevada National Guard Family Assistance Center. The center may be contacted at 1-866-699-3128 Tuesday - Friday from 9 AM to 3:30 PM. The center may be open during additional days and times but call to confirm.

You may also direct the family member to go online at www.nevadafamilysupport.com/.