Sharing a few of our favorite photos from veteran and first responder meet and greets with O.A.R. during their Three Decades Tour! Just one week left to enter for a chance to win a trip to Tampa to meet @ofarevolution at their November 12 concert. You'll also join the band backstage for a special wrap dinner prepared by @robertirvine himself. Donate $15 or more for your chance to win while helping the Robert Irvine Foundation create meaningful experiences and opportunities for veterans, service members, first responders, and their families. Enter now: prizeo.com/sweepstakes/o-a-r…

“Thank you for hosting this event. It was great to feel seen and heard.” - Military Spouse at Breaking Bread with Heroes Food. Connection. Resilience. These are themes we see come to life at Breaking Bread with Heroes. Food brings people to the table. Connection builds trust. And that trust opens the door to conversations that can strengthen resilience and save lives. Military spouses from Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB) and Fort Belvoir came together for a nutritious lunch and an opportunity to connect and learn practical skills to support themselves, their families, and their communities. RIF's staff member Kimberly Yarnall, a military spouse herself, led Crisis Response “Bad Day” Planning and Lethal Means Safety training, equipping spouses with tools to recognize when someone may be struggling, prepare for difficult moments, and help keep their families and communities safer. @WeFaceTheFight A special thank you to the Fort Belvoir USO, JBAB Chapel, and Top 3 Food Pantry at JBAB for partnering with the Robert Irvine Foundation to serve and support military families. Strong military communities are built through partnerships like these. #RobertIrvineFoundation #BreakingBreadWithHeroes #FaceTheFight #FuelToServe #MilitarySpouses #MilitaryFamilies #SuicidePrevention #CrisisResponsePlanning #LethalMeansSafety #FoodWellnessCommunity #JBAB #FortBelvoirUSO

During a five-day tour visiting service members in Korea, @robertirvine stopped by the DoWEA culinary classroom at Humphreys High School, located on the U.S. military's largest overseas base, Camp Humphreys, South Korea. Even across borders, food creates opportunities for connection, learning, and community. “Our military-connected students thrive when they see successful professionals take an interest in their learning and future,” said Lois Rapp, DoWEA Pacific Region director for student excellence. Students had the opportunity to learn and showcase their culinary skills. Younger students practiced egg techniques and French toast preparation, while third-year culinary students prepared and served a Korean fusion meal for Irvine and his team. “To all the men and women and their families that serve on the Korean Peninsula, thank you for your service, your sacrifice,” Irvine said. “We appreciate that you wear the cloth of our nation. Keep doing amazing things!”

Only 5 tables remain! An unforgettable evening of world-class cuisine, live music, and an opportunity to make a difference for those who serve. Join us November 9 at The Fillmore Philadelphia for the 9th annual Beats 'n Eats, featuring a seven-course culinary experience from an incredible lineup of chefs and a special performance by Johnny Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls. Gather your guests for an incredible evening while helping the Robert Irvine Foundation strengthen the lives of service members, veterans, first responders, and their families through food, wellness, and community. Interested in reserving a table? Complete our inquiry form to learn more. robertirvinefoundation.typef…

The Cateran YOMP is both a physical and mental challenge. Taking on this demanding hike through the Scottish Highlands requires courage, perseverance, and a dedicated training regimen. This year, 100 veterans stepped up to the challenge and joined the Robert Irvine Foundation team for the Cateran YOMP. The experience pushed them outside their comfort zones, helped them discover what they were capable of, and created opportunities for healing and personal growth. For some, that meant learning to lean on others for support. For others, it meant finding the strength to encourage a fellow veteran through a difficult moment. Each step was an opportunity to build confidence, connection, and resilience. You can help more veterans experience opportunities like this. Your support makes it possible for veterans to take on new challenges, build meaningful connections, and discover their own strength. You are the reason our mission moves forward. robertirvinefoundation.org/w…

Food is a connector. At a Breaking Bread With Heroes event at Camp Pendleton earlier this year, that connection came full circle. Luis Surla, a combat-disabled veteran, and his wife, Olivia, brought their Let’s Chow food truck, Joselle Filipino Cuisine, on base to serve a meal to fellow service members. It’s one of the ways we’re bringing food into our broader programming. A meal gives people a reason to come together, creates space for conversation, and helps build the sense of community that supports well-being and readiness. And when the people serving that meal understand military life themselves, the connection can mean even more. Food brings people to the table. What happens around that table is where the impact can grow. #LetsChow #BreakingBreadWithHeroes #MilitaryCommunity #CampPendleton

Today, family, friends and fellow veterans celebrated the life of Sgt. Chris Kaag, USMC (Ret.), RIF Ambassador and founder of the IM ABLE Foundation. A booming voice, a huge laugh, and a life lived by one rule: “Don’t quit on me.” He never did. Semper Fi, Chris.

"Food is hope, is love, is community, communication and caring. When we sit across the table with each other, we can see what's going on." - @RobertIrvine @USAA #FuelToServe foxnews.com/food-drink/celeb…

Strength is required in service. But support is not always guaranteed. Our Reuniting the Brave program creates opportunities for veterans to reconnect with those they served alongside and share what their next phase of life looks like. These experiences can reduce isolation, strengthen relationships, and remind veterans and Gold Star families that the connections built through service don't have to end when service does. Sometimes support looks like bringing people back together, giving them the space to reconnect, and reminding them that they don’t have to navigate what comes next alone. Our donors and supporters help make experiences like these accessible to our veteran community. #ReunitingTheBrave

For military medical students at the Uniformed Services University studying nutrition, some lessons are best learned outside the textbook.@USUhealthsci Chef Robert Irvine brought a practical, real-world perspective to the classroom, sharing skills and approaches these students can carry into their future roles caring for the military community. “We bring a different look and different set of skills in the real world...not the classroom world.” - Chef Robert Irvine @RobertIrvine What they learn today can shape how they care for those who serve tomorrow. #MilitaryMedicine #MilitaryCommunity #Nutrition #UniformedServicesUniversity #HonorThroughAction

"I want to actually learn to cook!" It's something children of active-duty service members at Ft. Belvoir have been telling their youth center for years. At a recent Robert Irvine Foundation cooking class, they got the chance. Working with fresh ingredients was something new for many of the children. Instead of pasta sauce from a jar, Chef Jackie showed the children how to make their own sauce for homemade lasagna. And they didn't stop with their own meal. The class made additional servings to share with three local fire stations. It’s a small example of what we mean when we say food is the front door. A meal can teach a skill, build confidence, bring people together, and create an opportunity to give back. Through Fuel to Serve, that door opens even more for service members, veterans, and their families: food they can afford, people they can count on, and well-being that lasts. We believe that every military family should have a place at the table. By 2031, a million places set. For more information on Fuel To Serve visit: robertirvinefoundation.org/p…

What happens when 100 behavioral health professionals leave a training with tools they can carry back into their communities? The impact has the potential to reach far beyond the room. Recently in Orange County, California, 100 behavioral health professionals participated in suicide prevention training led by Robert Yarnall, our Chief of Programs and Outreach, through the Robert Irvine Foundation’s work with Face the Fight. The training focused on Crisis Response Planning and Lethal Means Safety. Participants worked through practical, evidence-informed approaches to help recognize when someone may be struggling, develop a personalized plan for a bad day, strengthen coping strategies and support networks, and have effective conversations about firearm and medication safety. But the training of those 100 professionals is only the beginning. Through a Train-the-Trainer approach, participants are equipped with the knowledge, confidence, and tools to continue these conversations, train others, and bring what they learned back to the people and communities they serve. Because every person equipped to recognize the signs, start a conversation, and help someone make a plan creates another opportunity for support before a crisis takes hold. The more people we equip, the farther the impact travels. @WeFaceTheFight Thank you to OC Health Care Agency Behavioral Health Training Services and everyone who participated for investing in this work. Learn more about Crisis Response Planning Workshops from Face the Fight: wefacethefight.org/resources… #FaceTheFight #SuicidePrevention #CrisisResponsePlanning #LethalMeansSafety #MilitaryCommunity #Veterans

"Today, I'm going to ask you to be ambassadors of our foundation." That is the moment. Watch it land. Thomas served in the Marine Corps from 2001 to 2009. He came to the Robert Irvine Foundation through Mission: VetFit, our program helping veterans get physically and mentally healthy. In Scotland this summer, we asked him to represent us on the Cateran Yomp. Ambassadors are veterans, military spouses, and people who came through our programs before they ever represented us. They carry this work into rooms we will never walk into, in towns we have never been to. "Doing good is exponential."

A chance to sit down with fellow Airmen. A chance to connect with people beyond the base. A reminder that their service matters. That’s what can happen when we bring Breaking Bread with Heroes to a military community. At Barksdale AFB, a shared meal created space for connection, community, and a moment away from the demands of service. “A lot of times we're separated from our family, from our friends, and we're oftentimes just kind of isolated at our base. But when we have opportunities like this where we can come together to see the bigger picture and be able to dine with our fellow airmen, it makes life more livable. It makes it more enjoyable. And then it just makes you more thankful for what you do in the service.” - Service Member, Breaking Bread with Heroes Participant Thank you to @optimum for helping us bring this meal and moment of connection to Airmen at Barksdale AFB. #BreakingBreadWithHeroes #RobertIrvineFoundation #MilitaryCommunity #BarksdaleAFB

An update to this weekend’s event - unfortunately @OceansCallingMD has been canceled due to predicted severe weather. As of this point, our Breaking Bread with Heroes will go ON as scheduled with @ofarevolution.

“If we don’t take care of the people…then all the planes and trains and tanks…it doesn’t matter because we’ve lost the human being,” Irvine said. @RobertIrvine military.com/the-air-force-i…

Every military base has a dining facility. It is where service members eat most of their meals, and it was built for a different era. The services are modernizing it now, and Chef Robert Irvine has been invited to help. At a recent cooking demonstration at Peterson Space Force Base, one airman with 14 years in said the changes coming are leaps and bounds beyond what he has had before, and that better food will get him mission-ready. "Nutrition is the key to a successful force. And it's not only the force that serves, it's the family that stands behind them." The people eating the food are telling us what they need.

Suicide Prevention Month is a reminder that preventing veteran suicide takes all of us. We’re proud to be part of Face the Fight, alongside 300+ organizations working together to strengthen communities and equip veterans, their families, and supporters with the knowledge and skills to better support those who have served when they need it most. Buddy Check Week starts tomorrow. Have you taken the pledge? From September 21–25, we invite everyone in the military community to take the pledge to #TalkToTen veterans during the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Buddy Check Week. Whether it’s a text, a phone call, or a conversation over coffee, taking a few minutes to reach out can remind someone they’re seen, valued, and supported. @DeptVetAffairs @WeFaceTheFight Learn more about Buddy Check Week: department.va.gov/veterans-e… #FaceTheFight #FTF #SuicidePreventionMonth #NationalSuicidePreventionMonth #BuddyCheckWeek #SuicidePreventionDay #Veterans #MilitaryCommunity #VeteranSupport #SuicidePrevention #MentalHealth

Thank you @WMAR2News for featuring our Let's Chow Food Truck Program @WilliamsCyera -- Veterans leaving military service can face startup costs, difficulty securing business loans, family responsibilities and the challenge of moving from the structure of military life into the uncertainty of entrepreneurship. Let’s Chow connects them with people who can help with marketing, accounting, menus, sourcing and other parts of building a culinary business. “We create a family and an ecosystem for the veteran to overcome obstacles,” Foley said. “I don't personally help them overcome every obstacle. It's the team and the network we've created at Let's Chow and the Robert Irvine Foundation.” After losing a friend and veteran to suicide, Navy officer builds a new mission through Let’s Chow wmar2news.com/voiceforvetera…