Heart of Texas Magazine

Giving Holiday Cheer & Thanks to our Troops This Christmas

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Full Circle Home

The families and spouses of deployed military carry a lot throughout the year while their spouse is away, but perhaps most especially during the holidays. These spouses carry the load of two in maintaining their household and caring for children, in addition to the challenges of missing a loved one. Full Circle Home assists deployed military members to send a special package to their loved ones back home. Check out their website here: www.fullcirclehome.org

 

Operation Christmas Spirit

Similarly, Operation Christmas Spirit brings together a number of ways to support military families. Their website suggests specific amounts and gift cards to donate to treat military members and their families to special activities such as a trip to the movies or dinner. You can even adopt a full family for the holidays, providing funds for gifts, meals, and groceries. We especially like their idea of hosting a Christmas party and asking guests to bring gift cards for donation in lieu of a hostess gift. For additional ideas and for information to get involved or make a donation, visit their website: www.operationhelpahero.org/operation-christmas-spirit.html

 

Operation Homefront

Operation Homefront is an amazing group that assists military families in a number of ways. Perhaps most inspiring are their programs to get returning military into stable mortgage-free housing through their program Homes on the Homefront. Operation Homefront also assists with requests for financial assistance and filling backpacks for military children at the beginning of each school year. During the holidays, Operation Homefront provides hot holidays meals, and last year, provided meals for almost 10,000 families. This organization also hosts a toy drive for the children of military families. Find them here: www.operationhomefront.org/holidaymeals

Christmas Without Daddy: The Coldest Texas Christmas

Photo: Pxhere.com

Veterans

There are also a number of groups that directly work with and benefit veterans throughout the year, including during the holidays. While we often think first of those that are deployed during the holidays, many veterans also need assistance, support, and encouragement during the holidays as well. You might consider Disabled American Veteran and National Coalition for Homeless Veterans for groups that directly assists veterans. You can find their information at these websites: www.dav.org/ways-to-give and nchv.org/index.php/getinvolved

Undoubtedly, being deployed hosts a number of stressors. Being away from family for long periods of time and doing unthinkably hard work is hard at any time of the year, but most especially during the holiday season when family time is high on most peoples’ lists. As we all prepare for our own epic holiday adventures, may we all be thankful for the military families that allow us the freedoms and safety to celebrate, and may we look for ways to honor our deployed service men and women and veterans. Happy holidays!

Originally published in the Winter Issue of Heart of Texas Magazine.

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