Military children ready for new school year

Photo By Jennifer Pirante | Jewel Williams (right), family readiness officer with Combat Logistics Battalion 15, helps Marybeth Wiener (left) gather a list of school supplies for Jack (right), 8, and Ryan (left), 9, during a school supply give-away at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Aug. 6. A group of family readiness officers with 1st Marine Logistics Group and Marine Corps Community Services coordinated the give-away with a variety of donated school supplies. More than 100 families registered to receive the school supplies.  

CAMP PENDLETON, CA, UNITED STATES

08.06.2012

Story by Cpl. Jennifer Pirante 

1st Marine Logistics Group

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Family readiness officers with the 1st Marine Logistics Group and Marine Corps Community Services coordinated a free school supply give-away here, Aug. 6, just in time for the upcoming school year.

The school supplies were donated and collected from local Dollar Tree stores, which partner with Operation Homefront. Operation Homefront is a nonprofit organization that provides emergency financial and other assistance to families of service members and wounded warriors.

“Usually, we’ve done this as a [Combat Logistics Regiment 15] give-away, and then some of the other FROs have done their own,” said Kristy Harris, family readiness officer for CLR-15 and 1st MLG (Forward). “This year, we just decided to do it as MLG. Everyone put their resources together instead of doing multiple.”

Family readiness officers designated two days, Aug. 6 and Aug. 13, to allow families to collect the supplies. Students arrived with empty backpacks to fill with brand new lined paper, notepads, book covers, stickers, erasers, pens, pencils, markers, rulers, calculators, glue and every other basic supply a student might need for the upcoming school year.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to get them excited to go to school with their supplies and let them be a part of picking out what they need,” said Marybeth Wiener. “I think it’s great that the community reaches out.”

More than 150 families showed up to collect the school supplies. Volunteers assisted some families with as many as five children enrolled in school. Many family households consist of a service member who is either deployed or about to deploy.

“I think it’s a great thing to do for the families,” Wiener said. “Anything to help is much appreciated.”

More than ten volunteers helped organize and hand out the supplies. Among the volunteers were Marines, sailors and family members.

• Date Taken: 08.06.2012
• Date Posted: 08.10.2012 14:51
• Story ID: 92996
• Location: CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US