Operation Homefront
Providing emergency financial and other assistance to the families of
our service members and wounded heroes.
Presentation Overview
Who we are, where we are, and where
we can go … together
1
Operation Homefront Overview
2
2012 Highlights
3
How we Help – Program Review
www.operationhomefront.net
Your Logo
Operation Homefront
Operation Homefront is a leading national charity supporting families of
service members and wounded heroes. Since its inception in 2002, it has
grown from a small local charity to a strong national organization with
Field Offices across the country, providing more than $215 million dollars
of funding to programs that benefit military families. Mission: Provide
emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our service
members and wounded heroes.
Key Strengths:
•
501(c)(3), tax exempt nonprofit
•
Rated amongst the top charities nationally:
• Rated 4-Stars by Charity Navigator for 6 years in a row - an accomplishment achieved by
only 4% of all charities nationwide
•
•
“A” Rating by the American Institute of Philanthropy’s Charity Watch
“A” Rating by the Better Business Bureau
•
Over $69M in public donations in 2012; 94% efficiency rating (unaudited numbers)
•
Met 151,150 needs in 2012 alone; 741,721 needs met since inception:
• 100% of clients include active duty, National Guard, Reserve, and wounded, ill and
injured service members and veterans
• Over 99% were made to E1-E6 (the lowest ranking, lowest paid enlisted)
• Over 90% live at an income level 80% below the median income for the communities in
which they reside
• 64% were made to minorities
www.operationhomefront.net
Value #1
Honor Patriotism And
Service To Country: We
believe those who wear our
country's uniform do so with
a sense of duty, knowing
they support the causes of
freedom. We serve by
serving them and their
families.
2012 Highlights
•
Our 151,150 needs met included:
•
Providing over 34,000 backpacks to military children
•
Distributing over 9.1 million holiday toys in a six-week time period
•
Expanded emergency services eligibility, with a substantial increase in
cases (300% in first month)
•
Began the Homes on the Homefront Program in March 2012
•
Provide mortgage-free homes to all military veterans meeting
eligibility criteria
•
79 homes occupied since creation
•
149 homes currently in rehab and pending family occupancy
•
Charity Navigator 4-Star rating for 6th year in a row
•
Maintained a 94% efficiency rating (unaudited)
www.operationhomefront.net
Value #3
Respect Others: We
recognize that our success
as an enterprise depends on
the talent, skills and
expertise of our people and
our ability to function as a
tightly integrated team. We
appreciate our diversity and
believe that respect - for our
colleagues, clients, partners,
and all those with whom we
interact - is an essential
element of all positive and
productive relationships.
Programs
EMERGENCY SERVICES
The cornerstone of Operation Homefront’s programs is the emergency financial assistance it
provides to families of service members.
Oftentimes, these families do not have community support systems in times of crisis. We fill that
need by helping them bridge the financial gap in emergency situations, offering help with:









food
rent or mortgage payments
utilities
infant supplies
furniture, household items, and moving assistance
automobile repairs, payments, or donations
household repairs or medically necessitated modifications
counseling or support groups
urgent or critical healthcare needs
Moreover, when we can’t fill a need, we help families access other organizations that can help.
Through active collaboration with other nonprofits, we can better serve the military families while
reducing redundancy and duplication.
All applicants for assistance are thoroughly screened to validate financial need and eligibility, and
typically receive a response within 24-72 hours. When assistance is granted, payments are made
directly to creditors. And, because fulfilling the immediate need is only half the solution, staff
members work with applicants to help them set budgets and put plans in place for future
emergencies.
www.operationhomefront.net
Value #4
Perform With Excellence:
We understand the
importance of our mission
and the trust our clients and
donors place in us. With this
in mind, we strive to excel in
every aspect of our activities
and approach every
challenge with a
determination to succeed.
Impacts in 2012
Value #2
www.operationhomefront.net
Do What's Right: We are
committed to the highest
standards of ethical conduct in
all that we do. We believe that
honesty and integrity
engender trust, which is the
cornerstone of providing our
services. We are careful
stewards of the resources
provided by our donors. We
strive to be good citizens and
we take responsibility for our
actions.
Operation Homefront Villages
Transitional Housing for Wounded Heroes & Their Families
One of the hallmarks of our programs is our Operation Homefront Villages. Our Villages are a
special place where Warriors, wounded in their efforts to preserve our freedom and their
families, can find respite together while the service member is rehabilitating at a military
hospital and transitioning into civilian life. Families live free of charge in two or three
bedroom, fully furnished apartment homes, and receive a full complement of support:
 Community center filled with computer work stations with specialized software to
accommodate a variety of disabilities and Internet access.
Patterson Family
 Counselors to assist with financial education; filing VA claims, state disability claims and
social security claims; educational assistance including help with college enrollment,
scholarship applications, and applying for VA educational benefits; and job integration
programs, including resume writing assistance and workshops, assistance with interviewing
and finding employment.
 Morale-building activities, including monthly dinners, Wounded Warrior Wives support
group meetings, food pantry, access to a library of entertainment media, and events that
furnish Easter baskets, back-to-school backpacks and supplies, Thanksgiving food baskets,
holiday toys and other programs.
All too often, families of injured service members are discharged, and left to fend for
themselves while their disability paperwork is processed. We bridge this unique gap for
service members and their families who have nowhere else to turn. We work to prevent the
next generation of homeless veterans!
www.operationhomefront.net
Jack Zimmerman and Megan
Hearts of Valor
As more and more wounded warriors return from Iraq and Afghanistan, there is an increasing
need to care for their caregivers. Family support is paramount to a warrior’s physical and
mental recuperation, yet the spouses who lead the family effort are without resources or
emotional support themselves.
Hearts of Valor is a peer-to-peer support community that assists primary caregivers through an
online social network, local support groups, and retreats. The initiative is moderated by a
dedicated, professional team that coordinates activities nationwide, provides participants with
a safe space to talk, listen, and heal. Most importantly, it helps participants develop long-term
coping skills and discover resources as they prepare for the emotional stages of their warrior’s
healing process.
www.operationhomefront.net
Hearts of Valor:
Supports women caregivers in
their own journey of healing
by facilitating an online
community that provides
social connections to other
women in similar situations,
fostering support groups by
geographic area to encourage
resource sharing and
friendships, and sponsoring
annual retreats to provide
education on relevant issues.
www.heartsofvalor.org
Morale Programs
Lastly, our morale programs support service members and their families in a variety of ways.
Our programs provide them with events focused on celebrating their service to our country,
and in supporting them during times we know are tough; whether it’s a dinner out with other
families, a barbeque, or taking part in our Back-To-School Brigade, or holiday toy give away.
It’s the little things we do to show appreciation that makes life that much easier for those who
give so much.
• Homefront Celebrations – bringing military spouses together to learn and support one
another.
• Back-To-School Brigade – distributing 34,000 backpacks to military children in 2012
• Community Events:
• Tickets to concerts, sports events, shows
• Dinner out with other families, a barbeque, or other catered event
• Care packages for deployed service members, Wounded Warriors, and caregivers
• Holiday Programs:
• Easter Baskets – 504 distributed in 2012
• Thanksgiving Meals – 1,919 distributed in 2012
• Holiday Food Baskets – 5,947 distributed in 2012
• Holiday Toys – 9.1M toys distributed in 2012
• Holiday Meals for Military – 5,200 meals distributed in 2012
www.operationhomefront.net
Military families are used to
moving every 18-36 months, and
often have to rebuild their social
support structures after every
move. Often far from family
and friends, these families have
few resources to turn to in times
of need. To many of the enlisted
families we serve, money is often
very tight. Oftentimes, as the
service member deploys, so does
the family’s mechanic,
handyman, heavy lifter, primary
breadwinner and emotional
support system – adding extra
strain to the family while the
service member is away.
Special Events
Military Child of the Year Award – Established in 2009 to recognize the service and sacrifice of our nation’s
youngest heroes, this event has grown in both prestige and attendance over the last couple of years. The event
honors one child from each service branch whose resilience, strength of character, and service to our nation
best exemplifies being a part of the military community.
The five honorees are flown to Washington, D.C., for a tour of the Capitol area and the award ceremony. Each
award recipient also receives a check for $5,000 and a laptop computer. In 2011, First Lady Michelle Obama
was our keynote speaker. In 2012, the Chairman and other Joint Chiefs of Staff helped present the awards.
Freedom Walks – Each year, on/about September 11th, walkers gather to participate in Operation Homefront
Freedom Walks organized in locations across the country. Participants walk to show solidarity in their support
of our service men and women, to remember the fallen, and to remember the sacrifices our military members
make each and every day.
Team Operation Homefront – This special initiative recruits runners to participate in both the Air Force
Marathon/Half Marathon, the Army Ten-Miler, and the Marine Corps Marathon to raise funds for the Operation
Homefront Villages. Team members proudly wear Team Operation Homefront shirts with sponsor logos.
www.operationhomefront.net
THANK YOU!