On May 15, Procter & Gamble and Kent’s Market partnered with Operation Homefront to host a drive-through “Meals for Military” event for 200 local families from Utah-based Hill Air Force Base in honor of Military Appreciation Month. Companies including Associated Food Stores, Hormel Foods, General Mills, The Coca-Cola Co., Lehi Mills and MTN OPS bolstered the Armed Forces Day celebration by donating additional items to honor these military families. 
The “Meals for Military” event is a part of Operation Homefront’s larger Holiday Meals for Military program. The program helps ease a financial burden and brightens the lives of junior enlisted military families who sacrifice so much on behalf of all Americans. In 2020, the national nonprofit served its 500,000th military family member since the program officially began in 2010. This event is one of the many ways that Operation Homefront and its partners help military families start strong and stay strong throughout the year.
Kent’s Markets is excited to participate with Operation Homefront and help provide meals for military families not only in the community but also throughout the state of Utah. Rob Prigmore, store director of the Roy, Utah, location, said, “We appreciate all that military families do for our country and are thrilled Operation Homefront invited us to be a part of this wonderful event.”
Kent Beckstrom, founder of Kent’s Market, often expressed gratitude to live in a country where he and others had the freedom and opportunity to own, build and operate a locally owned family business.
“Kent loved and valued his family, considered employees friends and looked for opportunities to help and make a difference in the communities that Kent’s Markets operate,” Prigmore said. “We hope to maintain our relationship with Operation Homefront and will continue to look for opportunities to show appreciation and support for those in the military. Thanks to all of the great members that serve. God bless each of you and your families and God bless this wonderful country, the U.S. of America.”
“Thanks to the incredible support of Procter & Gamble and Kent’s Market, our ‘Meals for Military’ event today celebrated local military families on Armed Forces Day and gave us an opportunity to honor and thank them for their service and sacrifice on behalf of all Americans,” said Kelli Fagan, Region 1 senior director for Operation Homefront. “This past year has been particularly difficult, and I am proud to say with the ongoing support of like-minded partners, we have been able to continue to help our military families start strong and stay strong in their communities.”
The Holiday Meals for Military program began as the result of a chance encounter in a supermarket in Utica, New York. A soldier, his wife and infant had a handful of grocery items they could not afford, so a Beam Suntory employee took care of the $12 cost for the groceries. The generosity led to the creation of Operation Homefront’s Holiday Meals for Military program. In addition to distributing meals in November and December, Operation Homefront holds Meals for Military events throughout the year for Easter, Independence Day, Veterans Day and more.
