Across the nation, Operation Homefront and its organizations and volunteers will begin collecting donated school supplies, along with monetary donations, that they will distribute to the children of service members at the beginning of the school year in the fall.
Dollar Tree, a national sponsor of Operation Homefront, will be a collection point for back to school supplies for military children through Aug. 6.
“Our military neighbors do so much for us that we are honored to give back in this small way," said Chelle Davis, Dollar Tree spokesperson.
This year marks the sixth annual campaign by Operation Homefront to give the children of military families the opportunity to start school with all the supplies they need to be successful. Anyone interested in helping military kids can go to the website by clicking here or check them out on Facebook to learn more about how to volunteer or make a donation.
“Military families, especially those in the lower and mid-grade enlisted ranks, can see a real money crunch at back-to-school time,” said Jim Knotts, President and CEO of Operation Homefront. “People in the community who want to say thank you to military families can make a real contribution by being part of the Back-to-School Brigade program.”
At a recent Operation Homefront event honoring military kids, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey said, “It’s incredible to watch the young men and women of our military families grow up. We have a lot to be thankful for, and military children are probably right at the top of the list. Our kids have the unique opportunity to be whatever they want to be.”
In 2011, the Back-to-School Brigade program raised more than $2 million in monetary donations and school supplies nationwide for military kids. Through the generosity of individual and corporate contributors, Operation Homefront provided 30,000 backpacks to fill with school supplies for children of military service members.
Local Dollar Tree stores are located in Port Jefferson Station at 4830 Nesconset Highway; in Selden at 287 Middle Country Road; and in Lake Grove at 3172 Middle Country Road.
