Operation Homefront Saves Family from Returning to Abusive Home
Luci Lancaster was re-establishing her life after a near-death episode that ended her military career when she faced another crisis.
She and her 3-year-old sister and their mom feared they would be forced to return to an abusive household after Luci left her job because of safety concerns.
After she fell behind on rent, friends in a women veteran’s support group pointed her toward Operation Homefront. Luci did her research online and learned about Operation Homefront’s Critical Financial Assistance program, which is designed to provide short-term financial help for military families who are experiencing financial hardship.
Thanks to generous donors, Luci was able to fund $1,860 for rent and they were able to stay in their apartment.
“Operation Homefront saved us from going back to an abusive home,” Luci said. “And there are not enough thank yous in the world for that.”
Since 2011, the national nonprofit has provided more than $41 million through its Critical Financial Assistance program to help military families stay strong, stable, and secure.
“Operation Homefront kept a roof over my family’s head,” Luci said. “I had found a job I thought it was going to work out really well. It ended up not. So, I had to take a step back. Bills don’t take a step back just because you have to. It provided me with a resource to keep going, keep fighting hard.”
“Operation Homefront saved us from going back to an abusive home. And there are not enough thank yous in the world for that.” – Luci Lancaster, Navy veteran
Luci turned to the nonprofit a second time recently in 2024 as she waited for her first paychecks from her new job. She requested help with her car payment to ensure it would not be repossessed. Again, thanks to the generosity of donors, Luci was able to fund the approximately $1,300 needed to get her car payments up to date.
“It was the greatest joy of my life to serve for the country, but to have someone to turn around and support us was very cathartic,” she said.
Luci joined Navy two years after the death of her younger brother. His death, from pediatric cancer, made her re-evaluate what she wanted out of life, and one of her good friends had just gotten back from Navy boot camp.
She enlisted right after her senior year ended in 2018, hoping for an exciting career and the opportunity to find a purpose and see the world.
“Looking back on it now, I would definitely have wanted to stay in my whole career,” she said.
Just a year after she joined, though, Luci almost died after experiencing an allergic reaction to dye used during a routine medical procedure.
She had to be revived three separate times, and then doctors put her into a medically induced coma to protect further damage to her body. Doctors were uncertain if she would regain her physical and cognitive abilities.
Luci and her commanding officers decided it would be best if she separated from the Navy.
She went through what she called “very dark time” but is now doing much better. She is working in healthcare as a medical assistant and hopes to complete her education for a nursing degree in the future.
She credits Operation Homefront donors with helping the family find stability.
“To need a service that depends on society was difficult,” she said about having to ask for help. “They saved my family from losing it all.”
