Operation Homefront Seeks Assistance Helping Military Families in S.C.

Operation Homefront of South Carolina, which provides emergency financial assistance for military families and wounded warriors, today announced that an unusual increase in requested food assistance from service members in South Carolina.

“This time of year, we usually see requests for assistance through our Holiday Toy Drive,” said Sharon Rice, Operation Homefront’s South Carolina chapter president.  “Instead, we are seeing soldiers who can’t feed their families coming to us for food assistance.”

Operation Homefront is asking communities across South Carolina for their help.  Partnering with installations across the state to assist during the holiday season, the organization will work to ensure that NO military family goes without a holiday meal this season.

Food pantries across the state are low on resources. Recently, a food bank in Columbia was a media focus saying they were without fresh fruit and vegetables and that their meat coolers were almost empty.  Nationally, Operation Homefront has seen requests for food assistance from military families double in the last two years.

Sergeant Robert Barthel of Fort Jackson, who lost his right leg in an IED explosion in Iraq in 2008, and his family of seven were recipients of an OH-SC last year.  “When it comes to events like this, it is a tremendous feeling that there are people out there that still embrace the holiday giving season and do everything they can to help out someone in need, especially a Soldier,” Barthel said.

Anyone wishing to donate a meal for a South Carolina military family in need this Holiday Season can log on to www.operationhomefront.net/sc and click on the DONATE NOW button, or contact Operation Homefront at sc@operationhomefront.net  or 803-465-3284 to find out how to can donate a food gift card, or for more information.

About Operation Homefront:  A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront leads more than 5000 volunteers across 25 chapters and has met more than 430,000 needs since 2002.  A four-star rated charity by watchdog Charity Navigator, nationally, 94 percent of total revenue donated to Operation Homefront goes to programs.  More information is available at www.OperationHomefront.net.