As the parents of five children, Anacel Strachan and her husband, Army Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Strachan, know the thrill and agony of back-to-school time.
For the children – especially younger ones – getting supplies is exciting. For parents, the back-to-school season signifies an investment of time and money.
The Strachan family appreciated the opportunity to get school supplies for their three youngest children at an Operation Homefront Back-to-School Brigade (BTSB) event at Fairchild AFB in Washington.
“It was fun for the kids and for me, too,” Anacel said. “It also helped us with the cost of going back to school.”
Her youngest girls enjoyed choosing supplies, the art center, and having their faces painted.
The Strachan family includes daughters in high school, fifth grade, and kindergarten. Their 19-year-old son is in the Navy, and their 20-year-old daughter serves in the Washington National Guard and attends Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.
Andrew Strachan served in the Marine Corps before taking a year off from the military and joining the Army Green Berets in 2015. Now a diver, he has been deployed often.
“Thank you for doing this for military families. ”
Anacel Strachan, Army spouse
Anacel learned about the Back-to-School Brigade event through an email from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, where the family was stationed before being reassigned to Okinawa, Japan. She said she appreciates the support for the military families.
“(Back-to-School Brigade) helps us cut costs. I know some people couldn’t afford school supplies for their children,” she said.
She added appreciation for donors.
“Donors have chosen to support us, and we know they don’t have to do that. Thank you for doing this for military families,” she said.
Thanks to the generosity of donors, sponsors, and volunteers, Operation Homefront’s BTSB program has provided half a million supply-filled backpacks to military children since its start in 2008 and is on track to deliver 30,000 more through events in 2023.
At Operation Homefront, we recognize that many Americans struggle and that military families often face additional challenges, especially in today’s inflationary economy. Learn more about Operation Homefront and our impact as well as how your support can help secure the futures of America’s military families for decades to come.