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.

They provide programs that 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 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. Our Back-to-School Brigade helps to alleviate the financial burden for military families by providing school supplies. 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.

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.

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. One of Operation Homefront's core values is gratitude. The BTSB program in one of our ways of saying "Thank You" to military families for their service."

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 our Critical Financial Assistance program. At Operation Homefront, 92 percent of expenditures go toward delivering our programs and services.