Filling the Fridge and Fueling Community: Supporting Military Families in San Diego

Last week, I had the honor of joining Blue Star Families in San Diego for their “Fill the Fridge” event, part of Blue Star Welcome Week. As new partners, we’re excited to support their mission of strengthening military households. We came together to support military families who have recently relocated to the San Diego area — a place where the high cost of living, combined with frequent moves and added expenses of military life, can make keeping a fridge stocked more difficult than it should be.

Blue Star Families has noted that frequent relocations can bring an average of $8,000 in out-of-pocket expenses each year for many military families. In San Diego, these pressures are compounded by some of the highest housing costs in the country. That’s why Blue Star Families’ commitment to serving military households is so essential — and why Instacart was proud to stand alongside them to provide food gift bags and Instacart gift cards to 150 military families.

Supporting Those Who Serve

At Instacart, our mission is simple: to create a world where everyone has access to the food they love and more time to enjoy it together. Through Instacart Health, we’ve made a commitment to addressing food insecurity and improving health outcomes, working with nonprofits, healthcare providers, and policymakers to bridge gaps in access.

The service members and their families who joined us at this event sacrifice daily in service to our country. Supporting them with something as fundamental as fresh food and grocery essentials is one way we can help provide a measure of stability during times of transition. We were deeply moved by the energy of the Single Marine and Blue Star volunteers who packed bags alongside us, and by the gratitude of the families who left knowing their pantries would be a little fuller that evening.

A Commitment to Military Communities

Our partnership with Blue Star Families is just one way we’re providing support to America’s military communities. Earlier this year, Instacart partnered with the Rockefeller Foundation and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to expand Food is Medicine pilots in states across the U.S.. In Syracuse, New York, we’re supporting a pilot program that provides medically tailored grocery deliveries — valued at up to $100 per month — to veterans through VA healthcare facilities.

Meanwhile, we are also working with the Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) to ease the strain of relocation for military households. Through programs across three military bases, Instacart and MFAN are providing hundreds of families with $125 in monthly Instacart Health Fresh Funds stipends after moving to the base. Families can use Fresh Funds to purchase nutritious food and essentials from local retailers, with delivery included to help them spend less time traveling to the store and more time settling into their new community.

These pilots are more than food assistance programs; they’re research-backed interventions that aim to improve health outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and provide veterans with the dignity and resources they deserve. Whether in San Diego, Syracuse, or countless cities in between, our goal remains the same: ensuring that those who serve don’t have to worry about where their next meal is coming from.

Looking Ahead

As a national sponsor of Blue Star Welcome Week, we’re excited to continue building on this foundation of support. Together, with organizations like Blue Star Families and other partners across the country, we’re committed to ensuring that no family — especially those who sacrifice for our nation — goes hungry.

Food is more than just fuel. It’s stability. It’s health. And it’s community. By working together, we can make sure that every fridge is full and every family has the chance to thrive.