Military Family Advisory Network

THE MILITARY FAMILY ADVISORY NETWORK (MFAN) ENVISIONS A WORLD WHERE ALL MILITARY-CONNECTED FAMILIES ARE EMPOWERED TO THRIVE. OUR MISSION IS TO UNDERSTAND AND AMPLIFY THE NEEDS OF MILITARY-CONNECTED FAMILIES AND INSPIRE DATA-INFORMED CHANGE. MFAN IS A MILITARY AND VETERAN SERVICE ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS TO UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF MILITARY FAMILIES GIVING THEM A VOICE AND PLATFORM FOR CHANGE WHERE IT IS NEEDED MOST. OVER OUR 10-YEAR HISTORY, MFAN HAS UNCOVERED SOME OF THE MOST PRESSING ISSUES FACING OUR COMMUNITY. AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE MILITARY COMMUNITY IS A MICROCOSM OF THE BROADER POPULATION. HOWEVER, THERE ARE UNIQUE EXPERIENCESFREQUENT MOVES, SEPARATION FROM LOVED ONES, AND ABSENCE OF SUPPORT NETWORKSTHAT PRESENT CHALLENGES FOR MANY IN UNIFORMED SERVICE. SIMPLY PUT, WHILE MANY MILITARY AND VETERAN FAMILIES THRIVE IN SERVICE, SOME EXPERIENCE HARDSHIPS. THAT IS WHERE WE STEP IN.

RESEARCH AND PROGRAM EVALUATION: OUR RESEARCH IS THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR WORK. THROUGH A HIGHLY QUALITATIVE APPROACH WHERE WE HEAR FROM MILITARY FAMILIES IN THEIR OWN WORDS, MFAN IS ABLE TO IDENTIFY EMERGING NEEDS AND EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITY AND PARTNERS TO SET AN AGENDA GROUNDED IN LIVED EXPERIENCES. THE MILITARY FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMMING SURVEY, HELPS US GAIN INSIGHT INTO THE SUPPORT NEEDS OF OUR NATION'S MILITARY, VETERANS, AND THEIR FAMILIES. THIS BIENNIAL SURVEY PROVIDES A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF MILITARY AND VETERAN FAMILIES, COVERING TOPICS SUCH AS WELL-BEING, CHILD CARE, FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS, FINANCES, FOOD SECURITY, HOUSING, AND TRANSITION. THE FINDINGS FROM THIS RESEARCH SHAPE OUR PROGRAMMING, AS THEY ILLUMINATE AREAS WHERE MILITARY FAMILIES SEEK ADDITIONAL SUPPORT, EDUCATION, AND RESOURCES. THIS ALLOWS US TO BRING TOGETHER AND INFORM NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, ARMED FORCES LEADERSHIP, POLICYMAKERS, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO ENACT POSITIVE CHANGE FOR THE MILITARY COMMUNITY. MFAN'S CONSTANT GOAL IS TO SHORTEN THE AMOUNT OF TIME BETWEEN THE IDENTIFICATION OF AN ISSUE AND THE DEPLOYMENT OF A SOLUTION. COLLECTING AND SHARING DATA IS ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO DO THAT. THE MILITARY FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMMING SURVEY IS THE FOUNDATION OF MFAN'S RESEARCH PORTFOLIO.

OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE MISSION, INCLUDE RESOURCE CONNECTION AND COLLABORATION DESIGNED TO SERVE MILITARY FAMILIES. ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS MFAN CREATES CHANGE FOR MILITARY FAMILIES IS THROUGH THE CONVENING OF COALITIONS. OUR COALITIONS BRING TOGETHER BEST-IN-CLASS PARTNERS IN BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS TO SHARE PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES, DISCUSS EMERGING TRENDS, AND DEVELOP ACTIONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THOSE IN POSITIONS OF LEADERSHIP AND INFLUENCE. IN 2021, WE TARGETED THREE AREAS OF FOCUS FINANCIAL READINESS, FOOD INSECURITY, AND HOUSING.MILITARY FAMILY FINANCIAL READINESS COALITION (MFFRC) MFFRC CONVENES BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS COMMITTED TO THE FINANCIAL WELLNESS AND STABILITY OF MILITARY FAMILIES. THIS COALITION PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ORGANIZATIONS WITH A VESTED INTEREST IN THE FINANCIAL WELL-BEING OF MILITARY FAMILIES TO SHARE IDEAS, LESSONS LEARNED, BEST PRACTICES, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO MORE EFFECTIVELY SERVE OUR FAMILIES AND RESPOND TO THEIR EVOLVING NEEDS. IN ADDITION TO INFORMING THE WORK OF ITS PARTICIPANTS IN THEIR FINANCIAL EDUCATION EFFORTS AND INITIATIVES, THE MFFRC YIELDS ACTIONABLE INFORMATION THAT EDUCATES AND INFORMS POLICYMAKERS. MILITARY FAMILY FOOD INSECURITY COALITION (MFFIC) CREATED IN 2018, THE MFFIC SHARES RESEARCH AND RESOURCES, RAISES AWARENESS, AND DEVELOPS SOLUTIONS THAT ALLEVIATE HUNGER AMONG OUR MILITARY AND VETERAN COMMUNITIES. THE COALITION IS COMPRISED OF MILITARY-CONNECTED NONPROFITS, ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS, POLICYMAKERS, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, INDUSTRY LEADERS, FOOD BANKS, AND MORE. MILITARY HOUSING ROUNDTABLE (MHR) THE MHR IS A NETWORK OF TRUSTED, BEST-IN-CLASS STAKEHOLDERS FROM ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS WORKING TO ENSURE THAT MILITARY AND VETERAN FAMILIES HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHY, SAFE, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING REGARDLESS OF WHERE THE MILITARY SENDS THEM. THE MHR CONVENES HOUSING LEADERS AND ADVOCATES AND BUILDS ON BEST PRACTICES TO DEVELOP AND RECOMMEND POLICY AND PROGRAMMATIC SOLUTIONS.

CONNECTING MILITARY FAMILIES TO RESOURCES : MFANETWORKSINCE 2021, MFAN HAS LEANED INTO THE DATA-INFORMED NEED OF MILITARY FAMILY FOOD INSECURITY AND DISTRIBUTED OVER 1.5 MILLION MEALS AT 20 FOOD DISTRIBUTION EVENTS, SERVING OVER 11,000 MILITARY FAMILIES, EACH OF WHOM RECEIVED AN AVERAGE OF 50 POUNDS OF NUTRITIOUS FOOD AT EVERY DISTRIBUTION AT NO COST. AS PART OF THIS WORK, MFAN CONDUCTED FURTHER RESEARCH INTO THE CAUSAL FACTORS THAT LEAD FAMILIES TO THIS POINT AND WORKED WITH OUR COMBAT MILITARY HUNGER TASK FORCE, A TASK FORCE OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC STAKEHOLDERS TO IDENTIFY LONG-TERM, SCALABLE, AND SUSTAINABLE PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT MILITARY FAMILIES EXPERIENCING FOOD INSECURITY.ARMED WITH THIS DATA, IN 2023, WE DEVELOPED THE MFANETWORK, A COLLABORATIVE, INNOVATIVE PROGRAM THAT LEVERAGES PARTNERSHIPS, DATA, AND CONTENT TO ADDRESS FOUR KEY PILLARS THAT ARE FOUNDATIONAL TO MILITARY FAMILY WELL-BEING:- HEALTHY BODIES- HEALTHY FAMILIES- HEALTHY HOMES- HEALTHY FUTURES THE FIRST PHASE, HEALTHY BODIES, LAUNCHED AT THE END OF 2023, WHERE FAMILIES ARRIVING AT FORT CAVAZOS, TEXAS IN 2024 WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE A PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS) PANTRY RESTOCK BOX, THAT INCLUDES GROCERY AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS THAT MILITARY FAMILIES MUST OFTEN REPURCHASE WITH EVERY MOVE AS WELL AS ACCESS TO ADDITIONAL GROCERY-RELATED SERVICES AND RESOURCES. THIS PROGRAM BUILT OFF MFAN RESEARCH ON MILITARY FAMILY ECONOMIC SECURITY AIMS TO HOLISTICALLY ADDRESSES FAMILY WELL-BEING AND REDUCE BARRIERS AND ACCESS TO SUPPORT.WE BELIEVE THAT A MILITARY FAMILY'S ABILITY TO THRIVE AND SERVE CONCURRENTLY IS PARAMOUNT TO OUR ALL-VOLUNTEER FORCE FOR THOSE WHO SERVE TODAY AND THOSE WHO WILL CHOOSE TO SERVE IN THE FUTURE. IN ALL THAT WE DO, MFAN SEEKS TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD FOR MILITARY FAMILIES WITH DIGNIFIED SOLUTIONS THAT CREATE A SCALABLE MODEL FOR CHANGE.

PEER LEADER ADVISORY BOARD SINCE 2013, MFAN HAS CONVENED A GROUP OF MILITARY AND VETERAN SPOUSES, WHO ARE ALSO LEADERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, IN ORDER TO FORM A FULLER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT MILITARY FAMILIES NEED AND VALUE. THE MFAN ADVISORY BOARD IS A DIVERSE GROUP OF MILITARY AND VETERAN SPOUSE LEADERS, CHANGEMAKERS, AND CHAMPIONS FOR MILITARY FAMILIES. THEY BRING TOGETHER YEARS OF MILITARY LIFE EXPERIENCE AND ARE DISPERSED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY NEAR MILITARY INSTALLATIONS OF ALL BRANCHES OF SERVICE. THESE DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS SERVE AS AMBASSADORS - REPRESENTING THEIR ACTIVE DUTY, GUARD, RESERVE, AND VETERAN COMMUNITIES. OUR ADVISORS AND ALUMNI ARE MILITARY AND VETERAN SPOUSES WHO ENSURE THAT MFAN'S WORK IS FOCUSED WHERE IT IS NEEDED MOST AND THAT IT REACHES THOSE WE ARE COMMITTED TO SERVING. MFAN PROVIDES ADVISORS WITH COACHING, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND A CHANCE TO GROW THEIR NETWORKS AND GAIN CRITICAL EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC SPEAKING AND PRESENTING KEY PERSPECTIVES TO LEADERS AT ALL LEVELS OF THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS WHILE ELEVATING THE NEEDS OF THOSE WHO SERVE. IN 2023 MFAN CHOSE OUR SIXTH COHORT AFTER A COMPREHENSIVE APPLICATION PERIOD CONSISTING OF 14 MEMBERS WHO WILL SERVE A TWO-YEAR TERM. THROUGH MONTHLY CONVENINGS AND QUARTERLY RETREATS, THE ADVISORY BOARD SHARES WHAT THEY ARE HEARING IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, GIVING MFAN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHALLENGES FACING MILITARY FAMILIES AND HOW TO BEST SERVE THEM. THIS RELAY OF INFORMATION IS CRUCIAL TO FUELING MFAN'S RESEARCH AND PAVES THE PATH FORWARD FOR DATA-DRIVEN ORGANIZATIONAL PROGRAMMING AND PARTNERSHIPS.