Operation Homefront spearheaded the collection and distribution 207 backpacks and more than 3,000 school supply items for military families last month at Parkway Elementary School in Leesville, La., Fort Polk Progress reported in a recent news release.
The mission of Operation Homefront is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive – not simply struggle to get by – in the communities that they’ve worked so hard to protect.
Fort Polk Progress, a regional organization focused on coordinating the efforts of local communities, the State of Louisiana and the Louisiana Congressional delegation, is dedicated to supporting the Army mission at Fort Polk, and the quality of life for soldiers and families stationed in Louisiana.
In a similar back-to-school drive, Operation Homefront, in partnership with CSX, facilitated the distribution of 1,000 backpacks and essential school supplies to children of Fort Campbell military members in the Clarksville, Tenn., area as a part of its annual Back-to-School Brigade® (BTSB).
The annual BTSB program is co-sponsored Dollar Tree and SAIC, and this year’s campaign will distribute its 375,000^th backpack since 2008, saving military families more than $40 million in school expenses, according to an Operation Homefront press release.
Operation Homefront’s programs offer: Relief (through Critical financial Assistance and transitional housing programs); Resiliency (through permanent housing and caregiver support services) and Recurring Family Support programs and services throughout the year that help military families overcome the short-term bumps in the road so they don’t become long-term chronic problems.
The program for Fort Polk Progress’s Cafeteria Conversation was their Back-to-School Brigade (BTSB).  Dollar Tree and Operation Homefront have joined forces for the 11th consecutive year to collect school supplies for their Back-to-School Brigade programs serving military families.
Theresa Heard, Program Coordinator, Operation Homefront said, “Families spent an average of $510 for school supplies in 2018 – up from $501 in 2017 and $488 in 2016. Since our BTSB program began in 2008, we have distributed 350,000 backpacks throughout the U.S. Last year, thanks to our generous sponsors and donors, we distributed close to 39,000 backpacks to military children across the nation and 250 backpacks to those at Fort Polk.”
Heard added, “Military families deal not only with deployments and the other stresses of military life, but also the economic difficulties shared by all Americans. These donated school supplies enhance the success of our military children, while easing the financial burden of back-to-school season.”
Operation Homefront was formed in 2001 to support the families of deployed service members immediately following the events of September 11, 2001. They are a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.
Occasionally, military families struggle and need help with rent or mortgage payments, major repairs, school supplies, or groceries. Operation Homefront has fulfilled over 41,000 requests from military families across the U.S. providing more that $25 million in relief through its Critical Financial Assistance program. At Operation Homefront, 92% of expenditures go toward delivering our programs and services.
Photo credit: Fort Polk Progress