Food plays a powerful role in military family life — supporting health, bringing people together and representing a significant part of the household budget. Today, USAA and the Robert Irvine Foundation announced Fuel to Serve, a new five-year partnership that will use food as an everyday entry point to strengthen military family well-being and readiness. The initiative is part of Honor Through Action, a national advocacy movement founded by USAA to drive meaningful, measurable change on the issues that matter most to the military community.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260923496706/en/
Chef Robert Irvine (center), founder of the Robert Irvine Foundation, joins U.S. military service members. Through the Foundation’s new “Fuel to Serve” partnership with USAA, Irvine is working to use food and shared meals as entry points to strengthen military family well-being and readiness.
Fuel to Serve will go “beyond the dining hall,” using food and shared meals as trusted entry points to link families with a broader network of resources. The initiative will explore ways to guide military families toward financial education and resources, cooking and nutrition education, mental health services, benefits navigation and community-based support — meeting families where they already are through commissaries, dining facilities and other familiar food settings.
Beginning with pilots at Fort Bragg and in the Washington, D.C., region, Fuel to Serve will expand the Robert Irvine Foundation’s food, wellness and community programs to connect military families with broader resources.
“Food is part of every military family’s daily life, but its importance extends far beyond the meal itself,” said Juan C. Andrade, President and CEO of USAA. “Through Fuel to Serve, we’re bringing together trusted partners and practical resources to address the interconnected challenges military families face. By starting with places and experiences families already know, this initiative aims to help support their health, resilience and readiness.”
“Some of the most important conversations happen around a table,” said Robert Irvine, Founder and Chairman of the Robert Irvine Foundation. “Food is the front door. It brings people together, builds trust and gives us a way to connect families to nutrition, wellness and community support that lasts. This work runs from the dining facility to the home, from the installation to the surrounding community.”
Through these pilots, USAA and the Robert Irvine Foundation will stand up and prove the model, track measurable outcomes, and lay the groundwork to scale services across military communities nationwide. The two organizations will use pilot learnings to convene military leaders, nonprofits, private-sector partners and community organizations around solutions that can strengthen military family well-being and readiness at greater scale.
Military readiness is shaped by the everyday conditions that support health, resilience and family stability. Nutrition, financial well-being, social connection and access to trusted support all influence a family’s ability to thrive through the demands of military life. Food sits at the center of many of these daily experiences, making it a practical and familiar starting point for engagement.
Military families often navigate competing pressures related to household finances, nutrition, mental wellness and accessing available support. Rising costs can force difficult tradeoffs among food, housing, transportation, childcare and other essentials, while services and resources are often spread across multiple organizations and systems. Fuel to Serve aims to address these overlapping pressures directly.
Fuel to Serve extends USAA’s collaboration with the Robert Irvine Foundation through Face the Fight, recognizing that food and shared meals can create meaningful opportunities to foster connection, reduce isolation and link military families with support and resources.
About USAA
Founded in 1922 by 25 soldiers, USAA is among the leading providers of insurance, banking and retirement solutions and serves more than 14.5 million members of the U.S. military, veterans who have honorably served and their families. Headquartered in San Antonio, USAA has offices in seven U.S. cities and four overseas locations and employs more than 36,000 people worldwide. Each year, USAA supports national and local nonprofits serving military families and communities. With Honor Through Action, USAA advances policy, advocacy and philanthropy to support financial security, build meaningful careers and promote overall well-being across the military community. For more information about USAA, follow us on Facebook or X (@usaa), or visit usaa.com.
About the Robert Irvine Foundation
The Robert Irvine Foundation strengthens the physical and mental well-being of service members, veterans, first responders and their families. Through its three pillars of Food, Wellness and Community, the Foundation provides programs and experiences that nourish, strengthen and connect those who serve, helping them build the readiness and resilience to thrive in their personal and professional lives. Established by Chef and entrepreneur Robert Irvine in 2014, the Foundation has reached more than one million heroes, family members and civilians. Learn more at robertirvinefoundation.org.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260923496706/en/
Media gallery
