Students in Liberty County and on Fort Stewart will be returning to school Aug. 6, and to help them and their parents prepare for the big day, a back-to-school fair was held Thursday at Club Stewart.

“We have military families with children attending schools on-post and off-post — some in private schools and some home schools,” said David Smith, Child, Youth and School Services’ youth education support manager. “We’re here today to support them. A lot of folks heard about the free school supplies that are being given away by Operation Homefront. The Post Exchange is also here with a display of youth fashions.”

Smith said a representative from Stewart’s Brittin, Diamond and Kessler Elementary schools and each Liberty County school were there to answer questions and assist parents. He said higher-learning representatives from Armstrong Atlantic State University and Savannah Tech’s Liberty County campus also were there.

Daycare providers, Fort Stewart’s home school association, chaplains and several church-related child-care centers and academies also were part of the fair.

CYSS and other officials talked to the parents and children, who waited in long lines in the main lobby or one of four banquet rooms.

Christina Anthony, family services director for Operation Homefront Georgia, mingled with the crowd and answered questions from soldiers, their spouses and children.

“Most of those in this line are here to get the free school supplies,” she said, pointing to a long table stacked with rims of paper, spiral notebooks, composition books, binder notebooks and trays of pens, pencils and erasers. “They’re allowed to get the supplies and a backpack, and family members can sign up for the free laptops being given away at La Quinta Inn on Tuesday. We also have school uniforms for kids going to school off-post.”

Anthony said most people think Operation Homefront only is a local organization that helps Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield soldiers and their families. She emphasized her organization serves all military bases in all branches of the service in Georgia.

“We’ll take care of about 5,000 families here at Stewart-Hunter,” she said. “A lot of people support us, but one thing we’re in deep need of is food. We have plenty of diapers and (baby) formula, but we need non-perishable food items like canned and dry goods.”

According to its website, Operation Homefront assists soldiers and their families in several ways, including providing food boxes and gift certificates to grocery stores during “difficult financial times.”

Anthony said her office is at 400 N. Main St. in Hinesville. Soldiers or family members needing help, or anyone who’d like to make a food or monetary donation, can call 877-1340 or email Christina.Anthony@operationhomefront.net.

For more information, go to www.homefrontga.org.