Military Family Living #RVLife Grateful for School Supplies From BTSB Event
When COVID-19 shut down the world, Marine veteran Rene Garcia Jr., his wife, Esmeralda, and their two boys, hit the road in an RV.
Sons Kaleb and Izaeah, now 11 and 7, loved the nomadic lifestyle—including being homeschooled with the road their classroom—so much that the family now lives fulltime in the RV, traversing the United States as the seasons change.
They post about their adventures on Instagram and Facebook, and they are considering starting a YouTube channel.
This summer, the family was staying in San Diego, California, where Esmeralda’s sister and Marine veteran brother-in-law live. Both Rene and the brother-in-law are disabled veterans.
It was during this stay that Esmeralda learned about Operation Homefront and the national nonprofit’s Back-to-School Brigade® (BTSB) program.
“That stress is taken off our shoulders; school supplies might seem little, but for some families, it is a big expense.” – Esmeralda Garcia, Marine veteran spouse
In July, Esmeralda, Rene, and the boys joined more than 460 military families at a BTSB drive-thru event in San Diego where they received free backpacks filled with supplies, along with books and other family essentials. The event was one of dozens held nationwide as military families prepare for school. Since its inception in 2008, BTSB has delivered more than 535,000 backpacks to military children.
“The kids loved their backpacks with all their school stuff that came inside,” Esmeralda said. “They love their books. They were swapping books and sharing with their cousins. Even my husband loved the camouflage backpack.”
Esmeralda also gave a shout-out to Operation Homefront and Chobani for including vouchers for free yogurt. Every little bit counts when families are budgeting for the return to school, even those doing home school, she noted.
That stress is taken off our shoulders. School supplies might seem little, but for some families it is a big expense,” she said.
Rene enlisted in the Marines in 2000 and planned to serve for a career. But a training exercise prior to deployment left him injured and unable to serve. He was medically retired in 2003 and is unable to work.
Esmeralda is currently looking for remote work, which she has had in the past. She and Rene spend their time visiting family in California and Texas while trying to go to as many states as possible. So far, they have been to 41.
Esmeralda hopes to give back by volunteering at an Operation Homefront event.
“It’s just awesome that (Operation Homefront) is doing this for the community,” she said. “It can be hard for families when they have to transition and the whole family goes through it.”
