A local branch of the national non-profit organization Operation Homefront held its annual Back to School Brigade for Fort Hood families Saturday, Aug. 12.
Around 750 military kids left the Back to School Brigade with smiles on their faces and backpacks swung over their shoulders.
"The sacrifices that family makes is noticed, and that we appreciate them, and that we, it's our turn to serve them sometimes. They're serving us everyday," Erica Howe, Area Manager for Operation Homefront, said.
Which is exactly what they did. Operation Homefront provided backpacks and school supplies for 327 military families ranks E1 through E6.
"Getting your children ready for school... it usually, typically costs close to $400 to help send your kids back to school, and so it's our job to sort of offset that cost a little bit," Howe added.
"Being a family of seven, it does get hard, you know, when you have to like penny-pinch and everything, and I think this is a really good thing for them to do, especially the military community," Shree Preston, a Back to School Brigade participant, said.
The Preston family is no stranger to holding down the homefront. They are currently going through a deployment with their Dad overseas.
"To show the kids the community, you know, wants to help them and support them... even though that their either father or mother is deployed. It's important, I know it was for me, just to feel appreciated," Howe said.
"It is a relief because I didn't know personally how I was gonna do it.... because, you know, it's hard with bills and making sure the kids are fed and everything," Preston added.
But, thanks to Operation Homefront's Back to School Brigade, Preston can check school supplies off her list.
"Thank you from my family to yours," Preston said.
Howe added the best way to stay up to date with Operation Homefront activities is through their Facebook page.
One of Operation Homefront's partners, CDW, even donated Chrome Books for those families who have children starting 8th through 12th grade.
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