DAV AND BLUE STAR PARTNER
Blue Star Executive Director Tate Johnson delivered 10 bags of food in the Nourish The Service food bundle to the DAV. Blue Star Families’ (BSF) partnership with the Robert Curtis Hester DAV Chapter 99 in Bladen County began a valuable partnership. From left, Tate Johnson - BSF, Sam Croom - Bladen County Manager, David Brown - DAV and Neill King - DAV.
ELIZABETHTOWN – The Robert Curtis Hester DAV Chapter 99 received 10 bags of food just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday from Blue Star Families (BSF) which had Tate Johnson, Executive Director of BSF, deliver the bags from Lumberton to Elizabethtown.
Blue Star Families announced a new collaboration with Robert Curtis Hester DAV Chapter 99 in Bladen County to provide “Nourish the Service” food bundles to local veterans.
Thanks to the generous financial support of the Bladen County Board of Commissioners and an anonymous donor, BSF is able to meet an immediate need among veterans who are experiencing food insecurity.
Veterans identified by Chapter 99 will receive nutritious, ready-to-distribute food bundles, a part of BSF’s Nourish the Service initiative, to help ensure that no veteran in Bladen County goes without a meal. This effort represents a meaningful step toward keeping the promise made to those who served.
“Veterans gave of themselves to protect our country and it’s our turn to give back,” said Johnson. “With the support of the Bladen County Commissioners and the anonymous donor, we can deliver not only food, but hope and community care to veterans in this county.”
The DAV is a local chapter of the Disabled American Veterans, (DAV) which is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower America’s veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity.
The DAV provides veterans and their families with free services, including claims representation, employment support, transportation to Veterans Affairs (VA) medical appointments, and disaster relief. In 2023 alone, the DAV’s national network assisted with more than 209,000 new benefit claims and secured over $28.4 billion in earned benefits for veterans.
Through this collaboration, BSF and Chapter 99 are jointly identifying veterans in need across Bladen County, distributing food bundles and offering connection to additional resources and ensuring veterans are supported broadly, beyond immediate food needs.
In addition to this Bladen County initiative, Blue Star Families currently serves military families at Fort Bragg and across the surrounding counties, delivering programs in workforce development, nature-based outdoor experiences, caregiver support and nourishment initiatives.
“Serving veterans in Bladen County is an extension of our broader commitment to ensure that service members, veterans and their families are welcomed, supported, and connected in communities across the region,” Johnson said.
For more information about Nourish the Service or to inquire about eligibility and distribution sites in Bladen County, please contact:
Dave Brown
DAV Chapter 99
910-740-6312
About Blue Star Families
Blue Star Families builds communities of connection, belonging and support for military families through five programmatic pillars: Blue Star Careers (workforce & education), Blue Star Outdoors (nature-based experiences), Blue Star Books/START (literacy), Blue Star Caregivers (spouse & caregiver support) and Nourish the Service (food security).
About DAV and Chapter 99
The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is a nonprofit charity founded to support veterans and their families through a wide range of free services — from helping with Veterans Affairs benefit claims and employment programs to transportation and housing initiatives. The Robert Curtis Hester DAV Chapter 99 serves the Bladen County region, ensuring local veterans have access to the national organization’s resources and the peer-to-peer community advocacy that thrives at the chapter level.