HARLINGEN — The VA’s healthcare clinic is holding free a drive-thru pantry offering veterans healthy food.

In Harlingen, the agency’s drive-thru food pantry is set to open from 9 to 11 a.m., or while supplies last, on Thursday at its clinic at 2601 Veterans Drive, the agency stated in a news release.

Organizers are requesting veterans remain in their vehicles while the VA’s staff verifies their eligibility.

The agency’s holding the clinics to offer veterans healthy food, the news release stated.

“More than a million American veterans are food insecure,” the agency stated, citing RAND Corporation findings. “Food insecurity — the inability to secure enough food to maintain health — can involve relying on cheap, unhealthy food. Adjusting for a range of characteristics, including age, the RAND report said veteran status was associated with a 7.4% increased likelihood of living in a household with food insecurity and a 9.2% increased likelihood of being very food insecure, which means regularly skipping meals.”

The problem can turn deadly, the release stated.

“Not having enough to eat can lead to physical and mental health conditions and increase a veteran’s risk of suicide,” Hugo Martinez, the VA’s spokesman, said. “Our food pantries are one way we are tackling this very serious issue. If you’re a veteran in need, VA is here for you.”

The VA plans to continue offering its service.

“The VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System will continue its efforts to ensure that no veteran goes hungry,” the press release stated. “In addition to health care, VA also provides education, employment and housing assistance to veterans in need.”

Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness can contact the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at (877) 4AID-VET (424-3838).

For more information, follow the Texas Valley Coastal Bend VA on Facebook.