TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Military children were given backpacks filled with school supplies Aug. 2 at Travis Air Force Base, California, thanks to Operation Homefront’s Back-to-School-Brigade®.
Enlisted military families from airman basic to technical sergeant registered online to participate in the event.
“We have 100 families registered,” said Christian Mendoza, 60th Force Support Squadron school liaison officer. “This is my third time participating in the Back to School Brigade here at Travis.”
The beginning of a new school year can be costly for parents.
“Our goal is to support those military families who may have some financial needs or stressors about the upcoming school year by providing school supplies for their kids,” said Mendoza. “My favorite part is watching the kids come in and get excited when they see all of the supplies. Their eyes get wide and I really enjoy seeing that.”
The Back-to-School-Brigade® program has distributed more than 300,000 backpacks containing school supplies since the program’s inception. According to an Operation Homefront press release, volunteers will collect supplies and distribute them to military families at more than 40 Back-to-School-Brigade® events and through local community partners across the nation throughout the summer.