Operation Homefront and CSX Help Military Families Prepare for Back-to-School
San Antonio, Texas — As families nationwide look ahead to the next school year, CSX will join Operation Homefront for the fourth year to assemble and distribute more than 1,000 backpacks and essential school supplies to military children in Jacksonville, Florida; Clarksville, Tennessee; and Tampa, Florida as a part of Operation Homefront’s annual Back-to-School Brigade (BTSB). During this year’s campaign, Operation Homefront will distribute its 500,000th backpack, saving families over $55 million in back-to-school expenses since the program began in 2008.
As part of Operation Homefront’s mission to build strong, stable, and secure military families, our nationwide Back-to-School Brigade® program is supported by CSX, through their Pride in Service community investment initiative, and offers a tangible way to express gratitude to military families for their service on behalf of all Americans. For many of our nation’s military families, summer is a time of uncertainty as they frequently relocate from one duty station to the next, on top of the other stresses of military life. The overwhelming transition to new communities, new careers, and new schools, compounded by the impact of inflation and tightening budgets, takes a huge toll on military families. That is why it is even more important this year to help them alleviate the burden of buying school supplies for their children, which in turn can help unlock funds for other critical needs.
The Back-to-School Brigade® is Operation Homefront’s nationwide effort of collecting school supplies and backpacks that are later distributed to the children of military families as well as to all ranks of wounded, ill or injured veterans and their families. This annual program is sponsored by national partners Dollar Tree, CSX, SAIC, Navy Federal Credit Union, Peraton, and Sesame Street for Military Families.
“We are incredibly grateful to CSX and their dedicated teams for their steadfast support of our nation’s military families,” said Margi Kirst, Chief Revenue Officer of Operation Homefront. “As part of its transformational Pride in Service initiative, CSX has committed valuable resources and volunteer hours to our Back-to-School Brigade program, ensuring we can achieve our milestone of providing our 500,000th backpack this year to a very deserving military child.”
CSX is a longtime advocate of military families. Through its Pride in Service initiative the company aims to deliver support and resources to service members and their families, when and where they need it. Last month, CSX employees at their Jacksonville headquarters took time out of their workday to pack backpacks full of supplies for the upcoming events in communities around the country (see video). In addition to supporting of Back-to-School Brigade®, CSX provides funding for Operation Homefront’s Critical Financial Assistance program for military families in need. The nonprofit is nearing the fulfillment of its 50,000th request through that program, providing more than $35 million in critical financial assistance to military families. Most recently, CSX became a lead investor in the United We Stand campaign aimed at generating the resources the organization will need to secure the futures of our nation’s military families for years to come.
“Supporting military families has never been more critical,” said Bryan Tucker, vice president of Corporate Communications at CSX. “Operation Homefront’s Back-to-School Brigade helps to provide relief to the families of our nation’s heroes and gives them one less thing to worry about this summer. At CSX, serving those who serve is at the core of our mission and we are proud to partner with Operation Homefront and other organizations that support military families through our Pride in Service initiative. “
About Operation Homefront
Celebrating 20 years of serving America’s military families, 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, 88 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 over 240 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.
Media Inquiries: Erin Burgy Erin.Burgy@operationhomefront.org or (469) 934-7131