By Bernard Freeman

Celebrate Military Family Members

Celebrating the holidays while a loved one is away serving their country can be trying for the family members at home. If you know a family who is without their loved one this holiday, consider making them a part of your own traditions.

Small Gestures

Sometimes, it’s the little things that count. If you notice resistance regarding your invitation to spend the holidays with your family, consider making these small gestures to honor their wishes.

Baked goods: Find the recipe for your favorite baked item to deliver a delicious treat they can serve at their gathering.

Make a phone call: A short conversation can help take someone’s mind off the fact their service member is away for the holidays. Assure them you are there if they need anything and that they are in your thoughts.

Volunteer together: Find a cause the family is passionate about and donate your time to benefit their efforts.

Send an Invite

If a family is interested in joining your holiday gatherings, be sure to incorporate some of their traditions. When planning your event, have a conversation about how they celebrate. This can make them feel more comfortable and less intrusive. If your get-together features a dinner, ask them to bring along a dish they typically share during their holiday meals. You may find yourself with a new tradition.

Donate

Donate to an organization that supports military families. There are many great programs where presents or meals are delivered to thousands of active-duty bases across the country. The charity Operation Homefront does a great job with their Holiday Meals for Military and Holiday Toy Drive. There are also local groups that are executing similar projects or service drives. You may be surprised by what you can find in your own backyard.

GIVE YOUR TIME

Volunteer at a VA Hospital

Donating your valuable time to volunteer at a Veterans Affairs hospital is a great way to show your appreciation during the holidays or any time. Reach out to your local office to find out how your efforts can make a difference in the lives of service members. In the Richmond area contact Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center https://www.richmond.va.gov/giving/

These are a few of the common programs most VA hospitals seek volunteers for, according to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

Volunteer Transportation Network

This important program was established to provide transportation for veterans in need of services from a VA facility. According to guidelines, volunteers are permitted to offer rides in their privately-owned conveyance or government-owned vehicle, including donated autos.

If providing transportation isn’t possible, you can still show your support by donating to the network.

Welcome Home Celebrations

Around the country, the VA sponsors Welcome Home events to celebrate returning service members and their families. These occasions are generally meant to provide information and guidance regarding health care and benefits through the Department of Veteran Affairs. Check with your local VA Voluntary Service office to learn how to get started.

Student Volunteer Program

Don’t forget to include your children when volunteering! Showing them the importance of supporting the veterans and active-duty members of our military is a great lesson to share. Not only will military men and women benefit, but so will the young participants. Here are just a few ways the Department of Veterans Affairs reports the program is beneficial:

• Exploring health care career options.
• Gain experience in a health care setting.
• Learn new skills while meeting new people.

It is also a great addition to a college application and will qualify for a nomination for the James H. Parke Memorial scholarship.

Whichever way you choose to volunteer, know that you are making a difference in the lives of those who protect or have protected our freedom.

SHARE A SMILE

Provide Holiday Meals

Many families celebrate the holidays with a bountiful home-cooked meal and gathering of loved ones. Our active-duty service members sacrifice this wholesome experience while they defend our country. Fortunately, you can help send a little taste of home while they are away.

Operation Homefront has been around since 2008 and has served nearly 80,000 families. According to the organization, their 2017 events raised enough donations to serve nearly 10,000 families with everything they needed for a holiday meal.

Help them raise that number even higher in 2018 by attending an event in your area or sending a donation.

The Organization’s History

The inception of the Holiday Meals for Military program happened by accident. In Utica, New York, a soldier, his wife and their infant child were in line at a grocery store, collecting items for their Thanksgiving feast. They soon realized they could not afford the few products they were attempting to purchase.

Luckily, Ken Ruff, an executive at Beam Global, was in the same store and offered to pay for the groceries. After talking with the family, he learned the soldier had just returned from deployment and was having trouble catching up with his bills. It soon dawned on Ruff that there were many military families in the same situation, and he wanted to help. With only four weeks left until Christmas, Ruff canceled a large order of gift baskets the company would typically deliver to their customers. Instead, he used the funding and donations from partners to provide meals for about 500 families in the first year.

Thanks to generous donations, the organization has seen a growth in the number of meals they deliver annually.

How You Can Help

In addition to sending donations online or by mail, the organization has several other ways you can give back.

Homefront Hero: Become a member of the organization and pledge to donate as much as you’d like. On their website, you can set an amount and recurring time frame for the group to take donations right from your account.

Planned Giving: This option is a way to donate during your lifetime or at death. Consider planning your contribution in will, living trust or a bequest.

SAY THANK YOU

Send Your Personal Thanks

With the internet and social media, sending messages to anywhere in the world has never been easier. Thank a military member this holiday season by preparing a heartfelt thank you for their service.

Whether you choose to send an email, a handwritten letter or upload a video, make sure your appreciation is clearly displayed! It is easy for soldiers to become discouraged of their lifestyle, especially if they are miles away from their loved ones and home.

You can do your part this holiday by expressing how important their sacrifice and service is to your family and the country.

By Letter

There may not be a more personal way to say thanks than writing out a handwritten letter.

Remember these tips from Operation Gratitude when preparing a thank you.

• Begin with a generic salutation, such as “Dear Hero” or “Dear Brave One.”
• Share stories about yourself as well as interests.
• Be sure to include your return address in case the recipient chooses to respond.
• Don’t date letters, it may take months for care packages to be received after they are sent.

By Email

This type of contact is best if you personally know the soldier you wish to thank. While it may seem less personal than a letter, it’s the quickest way to get your message to a hero.

Be sure to include exciting news about their hometowns or interests. In addition to thanking them, ask how you can help make their time away easier. This may mean checking in on their friends or family members or sending along pictures of their pets or loved ones. Reminding them of home can be a welcome distraction when far away.

By Video

Record your salute and post it online. It might be hard to address one soldier when going this route, so express your gratitude for the entire military and the sacrifices they are making.

Hopefully, your video will be widely viewed by a military audience.