WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — School is just around the corner and every little bit of help families get can really make a difference.
About 100 military or veteran families in West Palm Beach received a little extra help from Operation Homefront on Saturday morning. During their “Back-to-school Brigade” families could get a backpack and fill it up with all sorts of supplies needed for a successful school year.
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The area manager for the organization, Beth McGregor, said the need exists, and it’s worse among military and veteran families.
“Military life can be hard. Everyone is struggling this year,” she said. “We see those same struggles amplified in the military and veteran community, especially things like food insecurity."
She said one in every four military or veteran family reports food insecurity and that’s even higher with families of color.
"Sometimes school supplies get skipped when you have to put food on the table or a roof over your head," McGregor said.
They serve the entire state of Florida doing several initiatives throughout the year, from this back-to-school event to holiday food drives.