Family Grateful for Years of Operation Homefront Support
Army spouse Alyssa Brown is a devoted follower of Operation Homefront events.
She learned of the national nonprofit when her husband, Justin Brown, received his first assignment after joining the Army in 2012.
They were stationed in Virginia, and Alyssa was pregnant when she heard about a Star-Spangled Babies® shower. Alyssa attended the event and loved the camaraderie, resources, and support she received.
During Justin’s seven years in service and since his medical retirement in 2019 as a sergeant, Alyssa and her family have enjoyed Operation Homefront events such as Holiday Meals for Military®, Holiday Toys, and Back-to-School Brigade®, along with receiving financial help through the Critical Financial Assistance Program®.
Most recently, the Brown family attended a Back-to-School Brigade event in Sherwood, Oregon. The event was one of more than 200 held across the U.S. in 2024 to help military families offset the cost of buying school supplies. Since its inception in 2008, BTSB has delivered nearly 600,000 backpacks to military children.
“I’m super grateful that Operation Homefront continues to help veterans. …It really lifts a burden.” – Alyssa Brown, Army veteran spouse
Alyssa and Justin have five kids, ages 5 to 15. With all of them in school and Justin’s bills, the BTSB events help with the financial burden of school supplies and task of scheduling times to shop for them.
“The kids were super excited,” Alyssa said. “We were all super grateful. (Operation Homefront) did a great job of trying to match supplies with kids’ age group, and they also gave the kids lunch boxes.”
Alyssa and Justin also have children with sensory issues and having help from volunteers as they navigated the event made it even more enjoyable.
Justin planned on being in the Army for his career. He was only 30 when, after returning from serving in Germany, he cut his hand. The cut was severed nerves. The repair surgery did not happen quickly enough, and he lives with seizures, migraines and other health issues because of the nerve damage. He cannot work.
Alyssa has taken on the responsibility of caregiver and head of the household since his retirement.
She and Justin appreciate that Operation Homefront donors support service members and their families at every step of their journey, from active duty to transitioning and as veterans.
“I’m super grateful that Operation Homefront continues to help veterans, especially considering my situation with my husband 100 percent disabled and needing so much care from me,” Alyssa said. “It really lifts a burden.”
