Katie Rivera, a former military brat and Operation Homefront’s Manager of Critical Financial Assistance, uses her six years of experience to help make military families stronger. With a father who served in the Air Force for more than 20 years, Katie understands the nuances of military life and its impact on the family. She grew … Continued
Marine Corps Spouse Moves from Operation Homefront Volunteer to Transitional Housing Leader As the young spouse of a Marine, Kyler Olejnik had much to learn about the military life, which inspired her to start volunteering with Operation Homefront. “I absolutely loved Operation Homefront, its mission and the team’s passion to serve,” Kyler said. “I was … Continued
Serving Military Families to Honor the Service of His Grandfather and Stepfather When A.J. Kahn first met a young Army private and his family moving from Florida to Kansas, he was surprised, but then sprang into action to assist this family in need. The family had literally moved to Fort Riley with nothing but the … Continued
MCOY Innovation Winner Draws on Military Moves to Help Peers Adjust School is a large part of life for any student, and many find comfort in returning to the same school and classmates each year. Military students might not have that same familiarity. To alleviate these stressors, Brandon Mammano, the 2019 Military Child of the … Continued
Operation Homefront Program Manager Does Double Duty As Army National Guard Soldier Leticia Pena loves assisting military and veteran families through Operation Homefront’s programs because she has been in their shoes. As a junior enlisted service member with small children, as a military family relocating to a new community with no support system, and … Continued
View Post Candace Jules knows firsthand the challenges that military and veteran families have during their journey to start strong and stay strong. For the past fourteen years, Candace has served in the Navy both on active duty and in the Reserves. “I have been in the shoes of every person we serve, and I … Continued
Employee of the Year is Passionate about Helping Military Families Start Strong and Stay Strong. “Working at Operation Homefront changes you,” said Joe O’Hara. “It has opened my eyes to the challenges that military families face every day. Often the service member has medical issues, and the spouse becomes the caregiver, which means very little … Continued
Kristen Henry’s desire to help military families started early in life. “Growing up, my mom worked as a nurse at the VA, and she would tell me these incredible stories of the bravery of the veterans she was taking care of that served in Vietnam, WWII, and the Korean War,” Kristen said. “I was always … Continued
Eleanor David, Marines 2021 Military Child of the Year®, Embraces Opportunities Eleanor “Ella” David, the 2021 Military Child of the Year® for the Marines, has always found solace in the constancy of her musical studies. With each PCS move, playing piano first and later violin and viola allowed her a special outlet and a space … Continued
Dasia Bandy, the Navy 2021 Military Child of the Year® Aspires to Shape Youth, the Nation Dasia Bandy, the 2021 Military Child of the Year® for the Navy, first aspired to be president of the United States when she was 7 years old. As commander-in-chief, she reasoned, she could order her father home from deployment … Continued
