Food Insecurity Hits Hard With Veterans and Uniformed Troops

HINES, Ill.—Every Thursday, Bob McMahon—often in his trademark Marine Corps sweatshirt and ball cap—volunteers in a food pantry at the Hines VA Hospital in suburban Chicago that helps veterans, active-duty troops and hospital employees.

Mr. McMahon, 63 years old, who served in the Marines just after the Vietnam War and left the service as a Private First Class, was homeless when he first came to the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital program in 2013, which he credits with saving his life. The pantry serves more than 100 veterans a week, said Kerry Thomas, a licensed clinical social worker at Hines.