PAYCHECKS PUTTING THEM IT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE POVERTY LINE.
WE TOOK A LOOK AT WHAT LIFE IS
LIKE FOR THEIR KIDS.
>> Reporter: DESIREE MEYER HAS
FOUR KIDS AND A HUSBAND IN THE
NAVY WHO HAS BEEN DEPLOYED
NEARLY EIGHT MONTHS.
SHE KNEW LIFE AS A MILITARY
SPOUSE WOULD HAVE CHALLENGED,
BUT SHE NEVER IMAGINED THE
BIGGEST ONE WOULD BE FEEDING HER
KIDS.
KIDS. >> TODAY WAS NOT A GOOD SALE
DAY.
DAY. WE HAVE TO GET CREATIVE.
SOME DAYS, WE HAVE BRAD DRIVES.
>> Reporter: DESIREE AND
THOUSANDS OF OTHER MILITARY
FAMILIES AROUND THE COUNTRY RELY
ON THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS.
AT DEWY ELEMENTARY, THE FEED SAN
DIEGO TRUCK ARRIVES EVERY TWO
WEEKS WITH FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES, WHERE A TEAM SETS UP
A DISTRIBUTION LINE.
FAMILIES ARRIVE EARLY.
NEARLY EVERYONE HERE IS MILL
FAIR.
FAIR. >> I WOULDN’T SAY CHECK TO
CHECK, BUT PRETTY DARN CLOSE.
IF A FLAT TIRE GOES OUT, THAT’S
IT.
IT. YOU SEE WHAT I’M SAYING?
YOU DON’T HAVE MUCH.
$100, $200 LINGERING, BUT THAT’S
IT.
IT. >> Reporter: TONYA McMILLEN IS
THE PRESIDENT AT DEWY
ELEMENTARY.
ELEMENTARY. >> 80% MILITARY AND 70% FREE AND
REDUCED LUNCH.
REDUCED LUNCH. >> Reporter: ESSENTIALLY, WHAT
YOU’RE TELLING ME IS, MEMBERS OF
OUR U.S. MILITARY ARE PAID SO
POORLY, THAT THEIR CHILDREN
QUALIFY FOR FREE LUNCH AND
BREAKFAST.
BREAKFAST. >> YUP.
>> YUP. ABSOLUTELY, YEAH.
ABSOLUTELY, YEAH. PRETTY SAD.
PRETTY SAD. >> Reporter: I MEAN, WOULD YOU
TELL PEOPLE THAT LITTLE KIDS,
WHOSE PARENTS ARE ON THE FRONT
LINE FOR THE REST OF US, YOU
KNOW, SERVING, GO TO BED HUNGRY
SOMETIMES?
SOMETIMES? IT’S SHOCKING.
IT’S SHOCKING. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. YEAH, GO TO BED HUNGRY AND
LONELY BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS ARE
GONE.
GONE. SOMETIMES, YEAH.
SOMETIMES, YEAH. >> Reporter: WE ASK THESE KIDS
TO CARRY A LOT.
>> YES, WE CERTAINLY DO.
>> Reporter: DAN MEYER IS WELL
AWARE OF THAT.
AS A COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER IN
THE NAVY, HE MAKES $34,279 A
YEAR BEFORE TAXES.
THAT’S JUST UNDER THE NATIONAL
POVERTY LEVEL FOR A FAMILY OF
SIX.
SIX. THE MILITARY DOES PAY FOR THEIR
HOUSING, A SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT,
BUT THEY STILL CAN ONLY MAKE
END’S MEET WITH HELP.
FAMILIES STRUGGLING WITH FOOD
INSECURITY IS SOMETHING VINCE
HALL, CEO OF FEEDING SAN DIEGO,
KNOWS ALL TOO WELL.
LAST YEAR, THIS FOOD RESCUE
GROUP PROVIDED 26 MILLION MEALS.
>> MANY OF THESE FAMILIES ARE
THE HARDEST WORKING PEOPLE I’VE
EVER MET IN MY LIFE.
THEY’RE FOCUSED ON SKIPPING
MEALS SO THEIR KIDS CAN HAVING
TO EAT.
TO EAT. >> Reporter: PLANNING THE
GROCERIES DOWN TO THE VERY LAST
SNACK, AND WATCHING EVERY PENNY.
SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE
MILITARY FAMILIES, WHERE THE
KIDS ARE HUNGRY ON A ROUTINE
BASIS.
BASIS. >> YES.
>> YES. I TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN THE WORK
THAT WE DO HERE, BUT I TAKE NO
PRIDE IN THE FACT THAT OUR
COUNTRY STATIONS FAMILIES IN SAN
DIEGO AND DOESN’T PAY THEM
ENOUGH MONEY TO LIVE IN SAN
DIEGO.
DIEGO. CHANCES ARE, WHILE THE SERVICE
MEMBER IS DEPLOYED IN A COMBAT
AREA, WEARING THE UNIFORM OF OUR
COUNTRY, THEY ARE GOING TO BE
WORRIED THAT THEIR FAMILY BACK
HOME IS LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY
LEVEL AND DOESN’T HAVE ENOUGH TO
EAT.
EAT. >> Reporter: IT’S NOT JUST SAN
DIEGO.
DIEGO. NBC NEWS OBTAINED RECORDS FROM
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
ONE IN THREE CHILDREN ATTENDING
SCHOOLS ON MILITARY BASES RUN BY
DOD ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FREE AND
REDUCED LUNCH.
REDUCED LUNCH. A GROUP WORKING WITH MILITARY
FAMILIES TO GET THEM THE HELP
THEY SAY THEY NEED TELLS US THE
PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD.
>> WE’VE IDENTIFIED THAT THERE
ARE FOOD PANTRIES ON OR NEAR
ALMOST EVERY MILITARY BASE IN
THIS COUNTRY.
THIS COUNTRY. THEY’RE SERVING HUNDREDS OF
MILITARY FAMILIES EACH MONTH.
>> Reporter: SOMETHING HE SAYS
THE MILITARY TRIES TO KEEP AS
QUIET AS POSSIBLE.
>> I THINK FOR DOD, THIS IS A
PUBLIC RELATIONS ISSUE.
THEY WOULD RATHER IT JUST KIND
OF WENT AWAY OR WAS DEALT WITH
QUIETLY.
QUIETLY. >> Reporter: WE WANTED TO TALK
TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
ABOUT ALL OF THIS, BUT DESPITE
REPEATED REQUESTS, THEY TOLD US
NO ONE WAS AVAILABLE FOR AN
INTERVIEW.
INTERVIEW. INSTEAD, THEY SENT US AN EMAIL,
TELLING US THAT THE PROBLEM IS
MINIMAL.
MINIMAL. THAT MILITARY MEMBERS ARE VERY
WELL PAID, THAT THERE IS A
SUBSIDIZED GROCERY STORE ON EACH
BASE, AND THAT FAMILIES CAN
AVAIL THEMSELVES OF THE
FINANCIAL LITERACY TRAINING THE
MILITARY PROVIDES.
MILITARY PROVIDES. >> THE POSITION OF THE PENTAGON
IS THAT IF YOU PLAN WELL ENOUGH,
YOUR HUSBAND IS BEING PAID A
COMPETITIVE WAGE, AND EVERYBODY
SHOULD BE FINE.
THE TWO OF YOU ARE NOT DOING AN
ADEQUATE JOB PLANNING.
>> MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE TAKEN
ADVANTAGE OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE
TO US.
TO US. WE HAVE MET WITH FINANCIAL
COUNSELORS PROVIDED BY FLEET AND
FAMILY SERVICES.
FAMILY SERVICES. WE HAVE DONE THAT WORK.
>> Reporter: NO MATTER HOW
FINANCIALLY LITERATE THEY ARE,
THERE’S SO MUCH STRETCHING THEY
CAN DO.
CAN DO. >> I THINK IT IS A NATIONAL
OUTRAGE.
OUTRAGE. >> Reporter: CONGRESSWOMAN SUSAN
DAVIS OF SAN DIEGO AND SENATOR
TAMMY DUCKWORTH OF ILLINOIS, A
FORMER HELICOPTER PILOT, JOINED
FORCES IN INTRODUCING
LEGISLATION THAT WOULD LIFT SOME
MILITARY FAMILIES HIGHER ABOVE
THE POVERTY LINE.
MINIMAL PROBLEM, AS THE MILITARY
SAYS?
SAYS? >> IT IS NOT A MINIMAL PROBLEM.
INSTEAD OF IGNORING IT, WE
SHOULD FIX IT.
WE SHOULD SAY, COME TO THE
MILITARY AND KIDS WILL GET GOOD
EDUCATION, GOOD HOUSING, AND
YOUR KIDS WILL BE FED.
THE MILITARY IS AN AMAZING PLACE
TO WORK.
TO WORK. I LOVED THE ARMY.
LET’S COMPENSATE OUR TROOPS WHO
DEFEND US SO THAT THEY CAN DO
THEIR JOBS WITHOUT WORRYING
ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEIR KIDS
HAVE EMPTY BELLIES.
>> Reporter: SO THE ESTIMATE, IN
ORDER TO FUND WHAT YOU THINK IS
NEEDED, IS BETWEEN $20 MILLION
AND $30 MILLION.
>> YES.
>> YES. A DROP IN THE BUCKET WHEN YOU
LOOK AT THE ENTIRE DOD BUDGET,
WHICH IS IN THE $735 BILLION TO
$750 BILLION RANGE.
>> Reporter: BACK IN SAN DIEGO,
AFTER 212 DAYS AT SEA, DESIREE
IS ABOUT TO WELCOME HER SAILOR
BACK HOME.
BACK HOME. DEWY ELEMENTARY, MEYER KIDS ARE
ABOUT TO GET A BIG SURPRISE.
>> OH, MY GOSH.
>> Reporter: DADDY’S HOME.
TWO BEAUTIFUL WORDS WHICH, FOR