Distribution set for military families
Support the Enlisted Project (STEP), in partnership with KMG Psychiatry Group, will provide urgent food and household items to active duty and veteran families in crisis on Saturday, Sept. 19 from its offices in Scripps Ranch.
This will be a no-contact drive through providing food and urgent needs for active duty and veteran families. Food, diapers, hygiene products and Amazon Movie Night Care Packages will be distributed to military families in crisis. The event will be held Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 9915 Businesspark Ave., suite A, in the alley behind the building.
KMG Psychiatry has been a STEP sponsor since the beginning of 2020. It is a mental health practice that specializes in military-related issues. By waiving co-pays for active duty and veteran families and offering appointments within one-week, its goal is to remove the stigma and the challenges associated with mental health therapies.
“Working with STEP allows us to find military families in crisis and make sure they know there is a community here to support them. The COVID crisis has added to financial, but also emotional concerns, and organizations like STEP and KMG are here to help our heroes,” said Dr. Ankur Bindal, owner of KMG Psychiatry.
This will be STEP’s 13th emergency distribution since March 12, serving more than 8,600 individuals.
“Combined with what the whole nation is going through, military spouses are experiencing furloughs, cut hours, and even lay-offs. Deployment orders are on hold, affecting housing and causing uncertainty for military families. We need our Armed Forces mission ready and to know we’re here for them for the long-haul,” said Tony Teravainen, CEO and co-founder of STEP.
Food staples and diapers will be distributed in partnership with the San Diego Food Bank and movie night care packages were donated by the Church of Rancho Bernardo.
To register for future distributions, follow STEP’s Facebook @stepsocal.org. If you are an E1-E6 and/or transitioning up to 18 months out, and are about to lose a basic need, submit an application for support at stepsocal.org or email info@stepsocal.org.
STEP’s mission is to build financial self-sufficiency among junior active duty enlisted members and veterans facing financial crisis through counseling, education and grants.