ST. PAUL — Gov. Tim Walz issued an executive order on Veterans Day directing the creation of a statewide network of food pantries for veterans and their families.

Minnesota is home to 296,000 veterans, according to 2024 data from the MDVA — 53% of whom are 65 and older, and 97,000 of them served in Vietnam. The Tuesday, Nov. 11 orders direct the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) to coordinate the development of a statewide Veteran Food Pantry Network.

“Our veterans have sacrificed their health, safety, and personal freedoms in service to our country. Yet, here at home, many are left struggling to put food on the table,” Walz said in a Tuesday news release. “In Minnesota, we made a bipartisan commitment to provide our veterans with support and care, and we’re ensuring that

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