Knotts is chief executive officer of Operation Homefront, a nonprofit that provides emergency financial and other assistance to military service members and their families. The organization recently opened a new Operation Homefront Village in Gaithersburg, serving the D.C. area. Why did you get involved with this organization?
I am an Air Force veteran and was active duty for 10 years, and I served in the Gulf War. I first got involved because in my position, I evaluated a lot of military support nonprofits. OH focuses on lower enlisted members. They make the least amount of money and are at a higher risk for financial hardship.
What is the new Operation Homefront Village?
This is one of the programs we started two years ago. It is for short-term transitional family housing.
How will the village work?
We rent a block of apartments in an existing complex and create a mini military community there. We also provide an onsite director to help with the needs of the families. Usually the families stay six months to two years. Many of these soldiers are still getting surgeries during their time at the village. Our goal is to help them make the transition to civilian life. In the D.C. area, there are a lot of wounded warriors that need assistance and a place to recover. Families end up relocating to be with the soldier. I think the entire family needs to be together for recovery and support.
Why do you think it’s important to provide a service like this?
As an American, we owe so much to those men and women in uniform that perform missions we ask of them. Many of the people who work with Operation Homefront are veterans or related to someone who served, so I think we understand the challenges military families face. We believe in supporting these soldiers and are proud to pay back to these families.
Kristen Byrne
