Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit that provides rent-free housing to military families as they transition back to civilian life, recently welcomed a Dallas-native into the first of three homes pledged in North Texas through a donation from Pillsbury. Max Best and his family are settling into the transitional home just ahead of Veteran’s Day.
Each home will enable Operation Homefront to provide rent-free housing to multiple military families over the next 15-20 years as they transition back to civilian life. According to data from Realtor.com, the median rent across the country reached a record high of $1,575 this year, an increase of 8% from a year ago, which is often well outside the affordability range for many lower income military and veteran families.
Best, a Petty Officer Second Class in the U.S. Navy, served in the military for six years, including a 2019 deployment to South Asia. The veteran and his family decided it was time to end his service with the military when his wife became pregnant with their son and the 14-to-16-hour days required from his master-at-arms duties were no longer feasible for the family. While living in the transitional home, the Best family’s goal is to improve their credit, save money and work to become homeowners themselves.
Operation Homefront’s Transitional Housing Programs have provided more than 600 military families with rent-free homes, which offer pivotal support to military families as they return to civilian life, become financially stable and prepare for their future, so they can save for homes of their own. Operation Homefront also offers financial counseling, equipping military families, like the Best Family, with the tools they need for success.
“We are thrilled to have the Best family become the newest members in our highly-regarded Transitional Homes for Veterans program,” said Brig. Gen. (ret.) John I. Pray Jr., President and CEO of Operation Homefront. “Our amazing partners at Pillsbury share our unwavering commitment to building strong, stable and secure military families and this beautiful new home they sponsored in the Dallas-Ft Worth area will not only help the Best family have the opportunity to thrive in this wonderful community but will also help many other deserving military families over the coming years as well.”
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. Financial counseling and rent-free living made possible by Pillsbury and Operation Homefront will give them the tools to create a brighter future.
