For media inquiries, please contact Mike Lahrman at communications@operationhomefront.org or call (210) 202-1243.
CSX & Operation Homefront Provides 1,000 local military children with backpacks and school supplies through Back-To-School Brigade® event
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Operation Homefront, in partnership with CSX, facilitated the distribution of 1,000 backpacks and essential school supplies to military children in the Clarksville, TN area on Friday, July 26, as a part of Operation Homefront’s annual Back-to-School Brigade® (BTSB). The annual program is sponsored by national partners Dollar Tree and SAIC. During this year’s campaign, Operation Homefront will distribute its 375,000th backpack since 2008, saving military families more than $40 million in back-to-school expenses.
“We are very excited to be here with Operation Homefront, one of our foundational partners in our CSX Pride in Service program,” said John Kitchens, Director of Corporate Citizenship. “Operation Homefront has a pulse on the military community and what their needs are, which is at the heart of our initiative. This close alignment creates truly meaningful impact as well as a great relationship.”
The BTSB is Operation Homefront’s nationwide collection of school supplies and backpacks distributed to the children of E1 through E6 military families as well as to all ranks of wounded, ill or injured veterans and their families. As part of Operation Homefront’s mission to build strong, stable, and secure military families, their BSTB program is one of the ways we provide military families with much-needed support throughout the year.
“Due to the generosity of CSX through its Pride in Service initiative, this program allows us to help these military families deal not only with deployments and the other stresses of military life, but also the economic difficulties shared by all Americans,” said Kristen Henry, area manager of Operation Homefront. “Purchasing school supplies is often a big expense for military families. These donated school supplies enhance the morale and the success of our military children while easing the parent’s financial burden of the back-to-school season.”
Since 2008, Operation Homefront’s Back-to-School Brigade® has provided more than 350,000 backpacks to military families nationwide – this season we will make that 375,000. In 2018, we provided more than 40,000 backpacks to military families.
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About Operation Homefront: Founded in 2002, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive – not simply struggle to get by – in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing, and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves America’s military families. For more information, visit OperationHomefront.org.
ABOUT CSX: CSX, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a premier transportation company. It provides rail, intermodal, and rail-to-truck transload services and solutions to customers across a broad array of markets, including energy, industrial, construction, agricultural, and consumer products. For nearly 200 years, CSX has played a critical role in the nation’s economic expansion and industrial development. Its network connects every major metropolitan area in the eastern United States, where nearly two-thirds of the nation’s population resides. It also links more than 230 short-line railroads and more than 70 ocean, river, and lake ports with major population centers and farming towns alike. More information about CSX Corporation and its subsidiaries is available at www.csx.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
