This week’s Tango Alpha Lima podcast features Stronghold Food Pantry CEO Monica Bassett, a military spouse who aims to help military families overcome food insecurity.
Monica Bassett, the daughter of a Vietnam War veteran, knows first-hand the struggle some families face when it comes to food insecurity. Her family once received assistance from a local food pantry, an experience that deeply influenced her commitment to helping others.
Now, as the founder and CEO of Stronghold Food Pantry, Bassett is a dedicated advocate for military families facing food insecurity. She shares her story as this week’s special guest on The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast.
In 2021, recognizing the urgent needs of military families struggling to put food on the table, Bassett began providing support from her home. Motivated by the Department of Defense's data revealing that 24% of military families faced food insecurity, she founded Stronghold Food Pantry with the goal of transforming the experience of seeking help and easing the stigma associated with it.
She recalls the stigma from her own experience at a food pantry.
“The stigma comes from years and years of our culture, the military culture, cultivating that,” says Bassett, who is a military spouse. “It’s years of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ whether you have financial issues or you can’t put food on the table, if there is drug abuse, if there are martial issues. It’s just ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’ You just grin and bear it. We’ll figure it out. And that stigma has personified over the years.”
Families seeking support sign up anonymously on Stronghold Food Pantry’s website. All her volunteers sign forms ensuring they will not divulge the identities of any clients they encounter. That’s how Bassett ensures dignity for and builds trust among those seeking assistance.
“It does not define us and it does not define our situation or our future. It is just a moment in time when we need that support and that compassion for someone else,” she says.
Since only 1% of Americans serve, the issue of food insecurity among military members is often lost on the general public.
“Our lifestyles, our grievances, the things we go through and endure get washed away by the other 99% of the nation,” she says. “Our stories get dwindled down. And they get lost in that space.”
Bassett’s extensive background in senior management, combined with her passion for community service, has driven the growth of Stronghold since its launch a few years ago. Under her leadership, the organization has expanded its reach and impact, serving an average of 20 people daily and distributing over 70,000 pounds of food in its first year.
She noted the support from American Legion Post 370 in Overland Park, Kan. “They ask me, ‘What do you need? What is the most beneficial for you to do here in Kansas? How can we impact that?’”
Bassett also talked about doing “pop-ups” this year with former Tango Alpha Lima podcast co-host Ashley Gutermuth. It’s not always a family or two in need, Bassett says, sometimes it can be many more, up to 100, at large installations with a high cost of living.
“We have expanded our ambassadorship to do ‘pop-ups,” she explains. “I encourage Legion posts that if they want to partner with Stronghold, hit us up and see if we are doing a ‘pop-up’ close to you.’ And if we are, then come out and help.”
Also, co-hosts Stacy Pearsall and Joe Worley discuss:
• A Legion’s post impressive contribution to a food drive.
• Why the Navy has run out of pants.
Check out this week’s episode, which is among more than 270 Tango Alpha Lima podcasts available in both audio and video formats here. You can also download episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Play or other major podcast-hosting sites. The video version is available at the Legion’s YouTube channel.
- Tango Alpha Lima