Army wife Monica Bassett has no idea what became of a Fort Riley woman who forever changed her life’s trajectory in 2021. But she has a message for her: The food insecurity that drove the woman to search the neighbor’s trash for leftovers wasn’t her or her husband’s fault.
“I hope she never felt alone,” said Bassett, the 2022 AFI Army Spouse of the Year.
After reading the ravenous spouse’s social media post asking for help, she was instantly transported back to childhood when her own family utilized food pantries. She couldn’t stand the thought of anyone on post going hungry, so she donated food to the woman.
But how could Bassett prevent it from happening again?
In 2022, she established Stronghold Food Pantry. The pantry, named after an impenetrable fortress, has since grown to serve an average of 90 military-connected people a week, with more than 140,000 pounds of food given away in just two years. Beyond food, Stronghold also provides fully-stocked backpacks for military schoolchildren (with everything their classroom requires), diapers and wipes, hygiene products and classes on PCSing, personal finance and homebuying.
“This came out of nowhere and opened up a different side of me,” said Bassett, a former senior executive at an employment firm. “I know that these people’s situations that brought them to Stronghold do not define who they are and what they can accomplish.”
Bassett, meanwhile, has accomplished quite a bit, including keeping Stronghold going after PCSing to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. She had trained a group of spouses to keep the Fort Riley pantry going, too, but she wasn’t expecting Armed Forces Insurance to offer their own assistance upon arriving at Leavenworth. Executives had heard about what her accomplishments at Riley were and wanted her to do the same at Leavenworth, offering office space and utilities to get her started.
“The help of AFI and having free overhead, being able to have a full warehouse system, has allowed me to have the bandwidth to help more military families,” Bassett said. “When you’ve found your passion, helping just one family isn’t enough, and having support from AFI and other organizations allows me to be a good steward.”
Stronghold volunteer Anne Vaillancourt has seen that good stewardship firsthand.
“This organization brings people together,” said Vaillancourt, who spends 2.5 hours a week at Stronghold organizing spaces and events. “It is a wonderful feeling knowing we are bringing joy and relief to those families.”
Families needing Stronghold’s assistance come from all ranks and pay grades, Vaillancourt said — not just junior enlisted, like most people assume.
“The fact that we move often and the spouse loses [their] job or has to stay home, and with the cost of healthcare, mental health problems, natural catastrophes (like the wildfires in California) and sometimes taking care of elderly parents, etc. — these are some factors that can weaken the pocket of the military families, and I would like people to be more aware,” she said. “It can happen to anyone, and you may not be aware that people around you are suffering from it.”
Stronghold recently expanded to pop-up events on other bases. However, Bassett is most excited about the ambassador program where trained Stronghold volunteers spread the message of military food insecurity and ways to solve it, including grocery delivery and pickup services at any military installation or area around the world.
“These ambassadors are giving these military families their groceries and saying hello at the door, and the kids are shrieking with joy that they have apples now,” Bassett said. “I will not let these families down.”
To donate to Stronghold or request assistance from any duty assignment, visit www.strongholdfoodpantry.org.
