To the Editor:

Once again, the caring and generosity of our community has been immediate and impressive. This year, through HomeFront’s Back to School drive, 1,200 homeless or very low-income children are going back to school with their heads held high, thanks to the concerted efforts of area businesses, organizations, congregations, and individuals. In these opening days of the school year, these children will proudly open their backpacks, filled with all the school supplies they could possibly want or need. They are confident — and, most importantly, they are ready to learn.

Not only did community members provide clothing, backpacks, and supplies, they also contributed to HomeFront’s Children’s Fund, which will be used throughout the school year to help parents of our client families provide those items that mean so much to their children: school pictures, the fees for a class trip, and even athletic shoes and equipment.

HomeFront knows the critical role that education plays in an independent, positive life and we do our very best to encourage and support academic success for adults and the children we serve. We provide tutoring four evenings a week during the school year, and our summer camps have a strong educational component. If a child has a learning disability, we work to have it remediated. Throughout all of our work, the community plays a vital role; as just one example, we have an amazing corps of volunteers who work one-on-one with the children.

In these difficult economic times, community support is even more meaningful. I only wish everyone who helped with our Back to School drive could have seen the children’s faces when they came to HomeFront last week. All of their excitement as they saw their new clothing, backpacks, and supplies was possible because they lived in a community that cares. For all of you who made this happen, I thank you.

Connie Mercer

HomeFront President & CEO