Lincoln Military Housing (LMH) team members set up drive-through distribution sites at seven community centers on Camp Pendleton to provide military family residents convenient access to essential items. Resources for the contact-free distribution sites were made possible through a collaboration with Operation Homefront and include essential items such as personal hygiene products and food items. The initiative was informed by resident feedback and military community surveys such as the most recent Pain Point Survey from Blue Star Families dated 4/19/2020, which found that 60% of military family respondents would like grocery delivery or curbside pickup. The survey also noted that 9% of military family respondents have a member of their household that is at high risk of infection, and the family cannot shop for groceries or medicine for fear of exposure.
“We understand this is a difficult time for everyone, including our residents, and want to do as much as possible to assist our families," said Jill Dorflinger, Regional Vice President of Lincoln Military Housing.
"We are committed to working with organizations like Operation Homefront and the Food Bank of San Diego to bring as many resources as possible closer to home and prevent our residents from having to leave their community more than necessary."
Because of the high demand, Operation Homefront can only access the food bank resources once every two weeks. They do, however, receive other donations that are made available to LMH for purchase at a reduced rate. In addition to the food items donated, LMH purchases the additional resources made available by Operation Homefront to provide meals to go and snack pickups for residents throughout the communities on regular rotations.
"We are always excited to receive donations from Operation Homefront for our families. Because sometimes we don't know what we are going to be receiving, we work hard to make sure the bags are full of quality products," said Brooke St. James, Event Coordinator with Lincoln Military Housing.
Additional food resources are also available from the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) located on the Camp Pendleton installation. Held on the 4th Friday of the month, the ASYMCA provides 300 families with food and diapers and have transitioned to a drive-thru option. Military families are encouraged to register as the slots tend to fill up quickly. Feeding San Diego has also set up a meal distribution for children and teens at the San Diego Armed Services YMCA, where meals are available Monday through Saturday. For more information on food assistance programs operating during the Coronavirus Crisis, visit ibertymilitary.com/military-resources
About Operation Homefront
Founded in 2002, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive - not simply struggle to get by in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves America's military families.
