LiveOak Fiber and the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce have stepped in to help local military families facing financial uncertainty during the ongoing government shutdown.

• After the Hurlburt Field First Sergeants Council made a request for help sustaining the base’s emergency food pantry, LiveOak Fiber committed funding for the effort. The Chamber followed with an additional contribution, allowing the council to double its food order from 5,000 to 10,000 pounds through Feeding the Gulf Coast.

“Without this partnership, the pantry wouldn’t have been possible,” a first sergeant with the Hurlburt Field First Sergeants Council said. “We normally hold it only once a month, but because of this support, we’ll be able to feed twice as many families this October.”

The drive-through food distribution is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, at 11 a.m. at the Hurlburt Field Base Chapel.

• Anyone with a valid, unexpired DoD ID card can attend, including active-duty personnel, guards, reserves, retirees, civilian DoD employees and military spouses. The event specifically targets those affected by the government shutdown. Even if Congress votes to approve pay for active-duty members, organizers said the event will proceed as planned.

Volunteers — including veterans, military spouses, LiveOak Fiber employees, chamber members and base leadership — will sort, bag and distribute food items including proteins, dairy, produce and non-perishables.

“America’s military doesn’t stop showing up when things get tough, and neither do we,” said Steve Smith, founder and chief revenue officer of LiveOak Fiber. “We’re not just a utility provider — we’re neighbors who care about the families that keep our communities strong.”