Photo By 1st Lt. Ashley Childress | Staff and volunteers with the Pennsylvania National Guard’s Family Programs Office...... read more read more
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Volunteers and staff with the Pennsylvania National Guard’s Family Programs Office and Family Readiness Group (FRG) partnered with Operation Homefront to host free backpack giveaway event here Aug. 19.
Operation Homefront partnered with private companies to collect approximately 500 backpacks and over 10,000 school supplies to the Pennsylvania Army National Guard for distribution to military families.
“Building relationships with community partners is vital for the Family Programs office because they assist in filling gaps in resources that Guardsmen may need,” said Thomas H. Bradbury, Pennsylvania National Guard Soldier and Family Readiness manager. “All of the community partnerships are important and each one plays a unique role in assisting with a different type of resource.”
Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.
FRG volunteers spent approximately six weeks driving to stores across the commonwealth to pick up donated school supplies, said Gina Childress, Pennsylvania National Guard lead Soldier and family readiness specialist.
Ten FRG volunteers dedicated over four hours assembling the backpacks with school supplies on Aug. 18 in preparation of the backpack giveaway event.
“There are a lot of military family members within the community willing to help and donate to give back to the military,” said Therese Bukousky, 166th Regimental Training Institute, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, FRG leader. “Being part of the FRG helps the family members feel that they have a place in the National Guard.”
The FRG is a command-sponsored organization consisting of family members, volunteers and Soldiers that provide an avenue of mutual support, assistance and a network of communications among the family members, chain of command and community resources.
Family readiness groups have a positive influence on the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and contributed over 14,000 volunteer hours in 2019, said Bradbury.
“It is very important for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard to include the families in as many aspects as possible to establish connections,” said Bradbury. “These connections are important because they provide the families a support system of people who are going through a shared sacrifice.”
Approximately 300 backpacks were handed out during the two-hour event.
“We originally planned to handout 200 backpacks, but we had a great turnout for the Fort Indiantown Gap event,” said Bukousky. “The volunteers had a great time organizing the event and it helps them feel connected with the Soldiers and National Guard.”
Bradbury said events like the backpack giveaway would not be possible without the community partners and volunteers.
“Family Programs cannot thank the volunteers enough,” said Bradbury. “We greatly appreciate their willingness to assist in providing support for the Pennsylvania National Guard and without their dedication we would not be able to effectively reach all of the families in Pennsylvania.”
| Date Taken: | 08.19.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 08.20.2020 15:32 |
| Story ID: | 376391 |
| Location: | ANNVILLE, PA, US |
| Web Views: | 257 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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