Military Mom Sees Joy, Value that Back-to-School Brigade Brings
When an Operation Homefront volunteer handed Mindy Schwickerath’s son, Reilly, a backpack and told him he was receiving it because he is a military child, the boy smiled with pride. It was one of the many things the military mom appreciated about the Back-to-School Brigade® event her family attended recently in Fairborn, Ohio.
Reilly, who is 14 and lives with autism and ADHD, also appreciated the gaming-themed notebook a volunteer selected for him.
“Any kid loves to have a big deal made of them. He liked that the volunteers were so excited and so nice to him,” said Mindy, whose husband, Nicholas, is an Air Force master sergeant who has served 20 years and is part of special forces.
“I’m happy to see the kids so excited to get brand-new backpacks and supplies that I know a lot of families couldn’t afford,” she said. “As a mom and the person who makes the family budget, I know that living on a military income is extremely hard to do.”
“I’m happy to see the kids so excited to get brand-new backpacks and supplies that I know a lot of families couldn’t afford.” – Mindy Schwickerath, Air Force spouse
Reilly, who is home schooled and attends co-op programs, needed new clothes after growing 4 inches over the summer.
“With the cost of living going up, it’s a struggle,” she said. “I have to budget very carefully.”
This was the Schwickerath family’s third year to participate in Back-to-School Brigade. Mindy, a former liaison with the military’s Key Spouse support program, stays informed about happenings in the Wright-Patterson AFB area and signed up on the Operation Homefront website to receive notifications about events.
The family has also participated in Operation Homefront’s Holiday Toy Drive and Holiday Meals for Military programs.
“All these programs come in really handy,” she said, expressing appreciation for those who make Operation Homefront’s work possible.
“The donors and volunteers should give themselves a pat on the back. “They stepped up and said, ‘We will help military families,’ and that is amazing.”
Thanks to the generosity of donors, sponsors, and volunteers, the BTSB program has provided half a million supply-filled backpacks to military children since its start in 2008.
Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit that is celebrating 20 years of serving America’s military families this year, aims to help service members and veteran families build strong, stable, and secure futures.
