TheMReport

TH E M R EP O RT | 23 FEATURE FEATURE W hether they are medically retiring, returning from deployment, or separating from the service, military members and their families face immense challenges when returning to their civilian lives. With the country's tenuous job market and always-turbulent econo- my, financial uncertainty is a com- mon frustration for these individuals. Throw in the ever-fluctuating hous- ing market, and often, even finding a home to live in can be difficult upon a service member's return. Fortunately, that's where organiza- tions like Operation Homefront step in, offering a helping hand to those in need—both with housing and other types of financial assistance. Helping Military Members Come Home A s its name suggests, Operation Homefront helps returning service men and women cope with the challenges of coming home—particularly those who are facing financial- or housing-related difficulties. The main goal? To ensure a military family's short-term needs don't devolve into long term struggles. To achieve this, the organization offers critical financial assistance and relief, caregiver programs, and family supportprograms. Additionally, both permanent and temporary hous - ing programs are a big part of the military nonprofit's efforts. In fact, in 2015 alone, Operation Homefront placed 92 military families in mortgage-free homes, saving the households upwards of $22.8 million in mortgage costs over the course their 30-year mortgages. Additionally, at the 2015 Five Star Conference Military Heroes Keys for Life Dinner and Concert, the organization—with the help of The Five Star Institute and Auction.com— gave away another five mortgage-free homes to military families in need. The three organizations plan to make a similar donation at this year's event. Over 550 mortgage-free homes have been given away by Operation Homefront, averaging nearly 100 each year. However, the organization's housing efforts go much further than that, through the group's transitional housing program. Operation Homefront's "Villages" provide no-cost, fully furnished apartments to wounded, ill, or in- jured service members while they are receiving medical treatment or reha- bilitation services. The apartments are also available for military members who are currently transitioning out of the Armed Services or who are awaiting approval of medical benefits. Last year, 111 military families received assistance through this program, enjoying more than 567 months of rent-free housing. Beyond the Front Doors O utside the home, Operation Homefront helps military mem- bers with other transitional needs as well. The group's emergency financial assistance program, for example, pro- vides grants to military families with unforeseen budgetary challenges, par- ticularly those that keep them from meeting their basic needs, like paying for groceries, rent, or utilities. In 2015, the organization provided nearly 6,000 emergency financial assistance grants for 2,360 families— assistance that totaled more than $4.2 million. There are other ways Operation Homefront aids military families, too, including its caregiver support groups, which total 52 across the na - tion and helped nearly 3,000 caregiv- ers in 2015 alone. The organization also provides holiday toys, holiday meals, and school supplies for military families and children on an annual basis, as HOMEWARD By Phil Britt

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