Walz signs executive order creating Veteran Food Pantry Network

ST. PAUL — Gov. Tim Walz issued an executive order on Veterans Day, Tuesday, Nov. 11, creating a statewide Veteran Food Pantry Network.

The Minnesota Department of Veteran Affairs is tasked with coordinating the effort to address food insecurity for veterans, service members and their families.

The order allows the agency to accept nonperishable food donations and work with other organizations and agencies on logistics like food sourcing, warehousing and distribution.

According to the state, thousands of Minnesota’s 280,000 veterans depend on federal food programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

"Food insecurity persists among veterans across Minnesota due to economic, health, and access barriers," the order states. "Given these existing conditions, along with the impact of the federal government shutdown, we need to take a new approach to address food insecurity for veterans."

The order said the Department of Veterans Affairs has already made significant progress toward ending veteran homelessness through similar coordination, thus making it well-positioned to address the issue of food insecurity.

The number of homeless veterans in Minnesota has stayed largely consistent since 2019, hovering around 300, according to federal data.

But since 2014, most of the state has effectively ended veteran homelessness, meaning there were systems in place to prevent homelessness whenever possible.

"Regardless of what happens at the federal level, Minnesota remains committed to providing for those who protect our freedom," Walz wrote in a Tuesday social media post announcing the executive order.