Final Mile Logistics Helps Launch Operation Homefront Annual Holiday Meals for Military Program

ATLANTA -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Final Mile Logistics, Inc. is pleased to be a sponsor of Operation Homefront, the national non-profit dedicated to providing emergency financial aid and other assistance to the families of our nation's military. Operation Homefront is launching its fourth annual Holiday Meals for Military Program.

The Holiday Meals for Military Program began over Thanksgiving 2009 as a result of a chance encounter in a supermarket in Utica, N.Y., near Ft. Drum. A soldier, his wife, and infant had a handful of grocery items they could not afford, so a Beam Inc. employee picked up the cost for the groceries. Since that time, the program has grown from initially providing 500 meal kits to military families in 2009 to providing 5,200 this holiday season.

The 5,200 meal kits, which include all the grocery items necessary for a full holiday meal, will be distributed to lower and mid-grade ranking military families at seventeen bases nationwide this December. Participating military bases include: Camp Pendleton, Calif.; Fort Benning, Ga.; Fort Campbell, Ky.; Fort Carson, Colo.; Fort Drum, N.Y.; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Knox, Ky.; Great Lakes Naval Base, Ill.; and MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. See below for a full list of dates and bases.

"Military families are not only dealing with the effects of war, but also the current economic difficulties," said Jim Knotts, President and CEO of Operation Homefront. "So often these families are split up during the holiday season from deployments. This year, we are helping them to bring the celebration home, and show that we are thankful for the sacrifices that they have made for our country."

Distributing these meals is an important undertaking that will be carried out in military communities and at local Operation Homefront Field Offices across the country. For more information on how to volunteer or donate, please go to www.HolidayMealsForMilitary.org.

In addition to Final Mile Logistics, Inc., sponsors for the program include Beam Inc., Walmart, Dole, Chinet, Cargill, Southern Wine & Spirits, Mrs. Smith's, Nestle Water, Ocean Spray and Campfire Marshmallows.

About Operation Homefront: A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront leads more than 4,500 volunteers with nationwide presence, and has met more than 590,000 needs of military families since its inception in 2002. A four-star rated charity by watchdog Charity Navigator, nationally, 94 percent of total revenue donated to Operation Homefront goes directly to assist service members. For more information, go to www.OperationHomefront.net. Or contact:
John Smith, PR & Marketing Director, 210-381-7110, John.Smith@OperationHomefront.net,
Aaron Taylor, PR Manager, 202-744-1326, Aaron.Taylor@OperationHomefront.net
Doug Whitfield, Marketing Director, 206-641-6678, dwhitfield@finalmilelogistics.com

Dates of Holiday Meals for Military Program Events: 7-Dec Camp Pendleton, CA: 8-Dec Fort Carson, CO; 8-Dec South Bend, IN; 8-Dec Fort Bragg, NC; 10-Dec Fort Hood, TX; 11-Dec Fort Drum, NY; 11-Dec Great Lakes Naval, IL; 12-Dec Fort Campbell, KY; 13-Dec Fort Knox, KY; 13-Dec MacDill, AFB, FL; 14-Dec Fort Benning, GA; 14-Dec Honolulu, HI; 14-Dec Portland, OR; 15-Dec Wright Patterson, OH; 15-Dec Camp Lejeune, NC; 15-Dec Fort Leonard Wood, MO; 19-Dec Fort Sill, OK