Adopt a Military Family To Help With Christmas

The holiday season can be a challenging time for military families. It may be time spent apart due to deployment or time away from loved ones. Travel can be costly, especially around the holidays and that can keep families from getting home. Military members may not have leave to travel. 

Groups ready to lend a hand

Organizations all over America are preparing to help support military families this holiday season. For years, groups around the country have worked to support troops and their families during the holidays. The holidays can be stressful and sometimes upsetting for separated families, but many charities and nonprofits work to make the season a little brighter.

Toys for Tots

This long-standing tradition of the U.S. Marine Corps is a way to donate new, unwrapped toys to children in your community. Toys are collected from October through December and distributed to families throughout communities, including military families. 

Trees for Troops

Military installations around the world receive free live Christmas trees sponsored by the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation and Trees for Troops. Each year, thousands of live trees are donated and shipped to installations everywhere so families and service members can make Christmas memories.  

Soldiers’ Angels

Soldiers’ Angels’ Holiday Adopt-A-Family program is available to families of deployed members E1-E6, post 9-11 wounded, ill, or injured service members, and veterans. With financial needs verified, these families and members can receive help supplementing holiday meals and gifts.  

Operation Homefront

Putting on a large holiday meal can be challenging for veterans, wounded, or deployed families. The stress and emotional toll can be a lot to deal with too. Across America, holiday meals are offered for eligible military families by Operation Homefront. 

Full Circle Home

“Supporting the women, who are supporting the troops, who are supporting us here at home.” Full Circle Home helps deployed members send gift boxes to their wife, mother, girlfriend, or another special woman at home. Available for Christmas and Mother’s Day.

Look local

While these options are available around the country, countless options are available locally as well. Many Adopt A Military Family programs have been established near military installations around the country. If you are interested in supporting a family, reach out to your local USO, Armed Services YMCA, the Red Cross, or Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Office. Local VFWs and American Legions may have programs in place also. 

Don’t let location stop you

If you aren’t local to a military installation, don’t let that hold you back. Military families are nationwide. Not all active duty families live on or near their assigned military instillation and some of these benefits do not reach their locations. 

Donations are accepted online through various websites and programs available around the country. 

Make It A Happy Holiday Season

The holidays can be a challenging time of year for those separated from their loved ones due to deployment. Adopting a military family for the holidays or making donations can help ease their burden and make their holidays merrier. 

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Brandy Hall, Nurse Writer, turned a passion for patient teaching into content writing. She teams up with podcasters and healthcare providers to improve health understanding. Now she explores the world through creativity and adventure as a mom and military spouse.