A unique side of military life is deployments. There is a lot of stress leading up to a deployment. Field exercises, floats, preparations, and separations. After that departure, back at home, a new journey begins. Sleep routines are interrupted. Especially if you are used to sleeping with your partner. If you are experiencing deployment and dealing with the emotions that are leading to disrupted sleep, try these solutions.

Create a new routine. Creating a new sleep routine does not replace or remove your partner; it creates a new predictable pattern. If you create a new routine in the hours before bed, eventually, your body and mind will be relaxed and prepared for sleep at the same time every night.

Anxiety

Anxiety is a repetitive emotion during deployment. Well-meaning family members send an article on every incident in the country or with any military ship, asking about the family member. It leads to being on edge and can disrupt sleep. The anxiety leads to restlessness. Take the focus off the anxiety by focusing on relaxing just prior to bed. Take a warm bath and avoid electronics two hours before bed. This allows for a shift in focus prior to bed. Add a weighted blanket and a sound machine at bedtime. These tools can combat anxiety preventing restful sleep.

Loneliness

When you are used to sleeping with someone else in the bed, and the loneliness makes it difficult to sleep, try adding a pillow to that person’s side of the bed or sleeping with a body pillow. Roll up a blanket on that side of the bed to add to the weight of the bed. Some military spouses shared that they put their spouse’s t-shirt on a pillow or a stuffed animal and slept with that to have the comforting smell of their spouse, all while being able to cuddle, allowing them to sleep.  If children are comforted by dolls with their parent’s pictures on them, it makes sense that adults are comforted by these things as well.

Restlessness

When feeling restless and unsettled, the Sleep Foundation recommends focusing on relaxing rather than sleep. This sleep method was utilized by military service members when deployed during World War II. First, work by relaxing the face and neck, and slowly focus on the body parts below – first the shoulders, arms, and hands, then the torso, legs, and feet. Visualizing a relaxing scene. If your relaxing scene is interrupted by worries or thoughts, don’t focus on them; instead, focus on repeating the phrase “don’t think,” and focusing on this helps to remain relaxed.

If you wake up in the middle of the night due to restlessness, try sipping on warm decaffeinated tea or milk. Do not turn on screens where blue light could signal your brain to turn on. Instead, focus on drinking the relaxing, warm liquid.

Fear

Coupled with anxiety, fear can rule the home and the mind during a deployment. The ideas of what could be happening “over there” and at home can prevent one from sleeping. To focus at home, consider a security camera or house alarm system to provide a sense of comfort and awareness. If you are on edge worrying about what could happen at home, setting an alarm allows for peace of mind.

Having a dog at home also eases the mind. It is a ready alarm and a friendly companion to combat fear.

Deployments are periods filled with anxiety, loneliness, restlessness, and fear. While these emotions are common and expected, they do not have to rule the sleep routine with the right tools and preparation.

The Scholarships for Military Children Program was created to recognize the contributions of military families to the readiness of the fighting force and to celebrate the role of the commissary in the military family community. Scholarships for Military Children Program is now open and accepting applications through February 15, 2023 for the 2023 school year.

For scholarship year 2023-24, Fisher House Foundation will award 500 scholarship grants of $2,000 each. The selection process will begin immediately following the application deadline of Feb. 15, at 11:59 p.m. PST

Funding for the program comes from commissary business partners and other contributions to Fisher House Foundation designated specifically for the scholarship programs.

“We thank the Defense Commissary Agency for partnering with us to provide scholarships to our youngest members of the military community,” said Ken Fisher, chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation. “We also appreciate the donors and supporters who value how important our military families are and support them through our scholarship program.”

Selection qualifications are straightforward. Requirements include completing the application; submission of the student’s official transcript indicating a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale for high school applicants, or college transcript indicating a cumulative minimum GPA of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale for students already enrolled in college; and a 500-word essay. The subject of this year’s essay is listed at the militaryscholar.org website under “Scholarships for Military Children.”

Eligibility for the program is determined using the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System database. Applicants should ensure that they, as well as their sponsor, are enrolled in the DEERS database and have a current military dependent ID card. The applicant must also be planning to attend or already be attending an accredited college or university, full time, in the fall of 2023 or be enrolled in a program of studies designed to transfer directly into a four-year program.

Applicants who are awarded a full scholarship to attend a college or university or receive an appointment to one of the service academies or affiliated preparatory schools are not eligible to receive funds from this program. A full scholarship is usually defined as one that provides for payment of tuition, books, lab fees and other expenses. Get more information on the program and apply here.

All rules and requirements for the Scholarships for Military Children program, as well as links to frequently asked questions are available at militaryscholar.org.

Fisher House Foundation also has a free, easy to use custom scholarship search engine tailored to military families called “Scholarships for Service.” It’s available for both mobile devices and desktop computers at militaryscholar.org.

-DeCA-

The shorter days, longer dark hours, and colder temperatures lead to “winter blues.” Per the American Academy of Family Practice, about 10-20% percent of people may have mild winter blues, about 10 million people by the numbers.

The winter blues by definition, is the feeling of depression or deep unhappiness associated with the season of winter. The National Institute for Health calls this more of a feeling than a diagnosis.

Tips

1. Get More Light: Sit by a window throughout the day, so you are exposed to more daylight. If you are able, get out and walk as much as possible. If you have a long commute to work, consider taking a 20-minute walk during your lunch break to get some sunshine. This is especially important if you work in a building without windows. Light therapy is a treatment modality for more severe cases of winter blues called Seasonal Affective Disorder. The light is meant to replace the missed daytime hours experienced in the summer and fall days. While getting outside in the natural light will not replace all the missed sunlight hours, it will provide much-missed sunlight. Don’t forget your sunscreen when taking in your vitamin D.
2. Eat Healthy: While your body will crave carbohydrates when having symptoms of the winter blues, eating healthy and balanced meals, including fruit, vegetables, and fish, can help combat those sad feelings. Meal plan with healthy meals to avoid snacking on sugary treats that are abundant at the holidays. Eating sugary carbohydrates can lead to sugar spikes and drops, which can increase feelings of sadness. This doesn’t mean you cannot indulge at all, with everything in moderation.
3. Be active: Keeping up a regular activity schedule will help boost your energy and your mood through the mood-enhancing chemical of serotonin. The CDC recommends 30 minutes of exercise daily, for a total of 150 minutes a week. While this can feel like an overwhelming task with long work hours, a commute, and perhaps even parenting and the taxi cab life for activities. If breaking up the exercise into 15-minute increments in the morning and in the evening is more manageable, do it. Perhaps get in 15-20 minutes of cardio in the morning and 15-20 minutes of yoga in the evening to prepare for rest and relaxation before bed.
4. Get Outside: Changing your surroundings can change your mood. Bonus that getting outside during the day exposes you to more light and provides an opportunity for exercise.
5. Get Plenty of Sleep: Your circadian rhythm changes with the change in sunlight, but this doesn’t always equate to more sleep during the darker hours. Getting an appropriate amount of sleep improves mood lability and can combat the winter blues.

If your winter blues continue despite utilizing healthy eating, routine exercise, and getting plenty of sunshine, and the sadness begins to interfere with your activities of daily living; this may be Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. Seasonal affective disorder is a medical diagnosis and may require medical interventions like medication. Someone experiencing SAD does not necessarily require daily medication but beginning medication and/or therapy can help manage symptoms. Contact your primary care provider, or reach out to a mental health professional if your winter blues are affecting your daily life.

One of the top five New Years’ Resolutions every year is to lose weight. While I would recommend changing this to “Get Healthy” versus losing weight, it is understandable why this is on the list after a period of increase in heavy foods during the holiday season and colder temperatures leading to fewer outdoor activities. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on an exercise program or equipment; you can do exercises with your body weight on your time.

Yoga

Any carpeted place can be a place for yoga. Check YouTube for free yoga sessions and begin. It really is that simple. Sit cross-legged with your back straight and take deep breaths. Taking a moment of calm prior to any activity is important for mindfulness. Yoga isn’t just an exercise but also promotes mindfulness for stress management and encourages the maintenance and development of flexibility and strength.

Planks

This exercise can be escalated over time to ensure a continued challenge. Start with planks on knees initially and graduate to up on hands or down on elbows once up on toes. Add rocking up and down/side to side for more engagement of the core and shoulders.

Squats

Start with Sumo or regular squats. Over time, increase the depth and frequency of the squats. Add squat jumps once more attuned to squats. When jumping, make sure to land softly, slightly bending the knees to avoid jarring the knees.

Mountain Climbers

Add variety to the plank but lift one leg at a time to the chest. Start off slow, but increase over time the repetitions or time period doing this. It is a good cardio exercise if you maintain this for a period of time.

Shoulder Taps

Another addition to planks, stay in plank position and, while maintaining core strength, tap the opposite shoulder with the hand. Work on not rocking while doing this to increase core strength in addition to shoulder stability

Lunges

Not everyone’s favorite, but it can be mixed up in various ways. Take one step back to get both knees at 90 degrees. Then step together and take one step back with the other leg. If this is a new exercise, start slow but increase speed over time. Start with doing 10-20 on each leg and increase the number completed, or do it for 30-60 seconds at a time. Eventually, it won’t be as hard, and you will be looking for new ways to increase the difficulty.

Curtsy Lunge

Add an extra challenge to the lunge with the curtsy lunge. Instead of lunging with the leg straight back, the leg stepping back steps at a diagonal, and both knees lower into a “curtsy”. Add a hop at the top of the lunge for an extra challenge.

Bear Planks

 Maintaining a plank, but with the legs bent upward – not quite at a mountain climber, but in a “bear” position. Maintain this for 30 seconds, eventually for 60 seconds and longer. You can also hop back and forth from straight plank to bear plank to add variety to planks.

Burpee

It’s a whole-body workout. Begin standing shoulder-width apart, squat, then move to the plank by kicking your feet behind you. Do a push-up, and once completed, jump your legs up to a squat position to jump straight up with arms overhead. Do as many of these as possible in one minute and rest for 20-30 seconds. It will get your heart rate up as well as engage your core.

Burpee with Mountain climber

Needing more of a challenge? Add a mountain climber when in plank position during the burpee.

Stay budget-friendly without adding expenses after the holidays. Bonus that you are not adding literal weight to your moving load with these exercises to keep you healthy.

It’s the Final Countdown!

A New Year for a military member looks a little bit different, especially on a PCS year. The traditional New Year’s Resolutions of a renewed exercise routine or drinking less caffeine may still be on the list, but there are other priorities for the moving military member. This is the list for those individuals.

It’s a new year; it’s a time to start preparing for the summer move cycle. Get your home ready, pack things, and move to the next destination. Where to start? Start in January; start early. It will lessen the stress during the moving season. It won’t abolish it, but it maybe more manageable.

January is for Beginning Decluttering

This can be done in a fashion that makes it easy to manage. The idea is to declutter and purge to start fresh with the next move.

Declutter by item type: books, clothes, kitchen tools, towels, kids’ games, clothing, etc.

Declutter by room – this one is easier to break down and manage because it compartmentalizes things.

Designate how you will declutter each type of room. Will it be on Thursdays or Sundays, or a week at a time? Starting early makes the task less daunting.

February is for Beginning Pantry and Freezer Clean Out

Beginning in January, analyze what is in the pantry. If there are any items that are hiding in the back or have fallen behind the pasta containers, now is the time to pull them out. Determine what is on hand, so it can be used in a timely fashion. This prevents food waste, and maximally utilizes your budget. Before you begin the moving-out meal roulette, use food items in the way you desire. The same goes for the freezer. Small things fall out and hide behind shelves. Find them before they spoil, leak, make a mess or have to be tossed out.

March is for Information Gathering

March is usually a time one can expect to have orders and be able to do the information gathering for the new duty station. About the job, find housing or secure a room, determine school ratings, and find doctors/dentists. While it is fun to plan and research the possibilities, once hard orders are in hand, March is the time for concrete searching.

April is for Moving Cleaning, not just Spring Cleaning

The deep cleaning that occurs with moving is a lot of work. While hiring a cleaner can be helpful, it can be an added expense during a costly moving period. Begin doing deep cleaning in January. Clean the fridge and freezer. Turn the oven on to cleaning mode. Steam clean carpets. Scrub the baseboards of the floors, the most forgotten areas. Make a list of what needs to be done and do it one step at a time.

May is for Packing

While the government can provide a moving company for you, you have the option for a Personally Procured Move (PPM, formerly DITY), or you can pre-pack boxes to assist with the organizing of your items. Pack sentimental items, ensure family china or jewelry is packed securely, and pull out any items that you wish.

June is the Big Push

With a summer move on the horizon, June is for all the last-minute things. One more decluttering round for the house. A once-over clean goes much faster because you have done the deep cleaning. The cupboards should be bare now that you have slowly been working on them.

As I listen to the Christmas tunes through Amazon Music, I reflect on where we have celebrated the holidays – both my active-duty spouse and as a military family around the world. My spouse has been on deployment during the holidays. As a family, we celebrated the holidays in Okinawa, Japan, wearing a t-shirt and flip-flops at the beach on a Christmas afternoon. We are not alone. Many military families have celebrated the holidays outside of their hometowns, instead celebrating where the military sends us. These unique experiences present opportunities to learn about the various areas we live in and perhaps continue the tradition with the next PCS. From OCONUS to CONUS, military families share their unique experiences of the holidays spent around the world.

Germany

For those lucky enough to call Germany home, the holidays are a magical time. Christkindlmarkt, or the Christmas Markets, in Germany are an outdoor shopping market for goods and foodstuffs. Glühwein and gingerbread are purchased and enjoyed. These traditions don’t end when leaving Germany. While markets like those in Germany are not as prominent, they do occur in some scattered towns around the United States, including Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Some big box stores carry German beer or glühwein, and while it may not be an exact replica for those treats enjoyed at the Christmas Markets,

The custom of celebrating St. Niklaus Day may have begun for those who lived in Germany but continues even after leaving. It’s a fun way to continue and honor those traditions learned overseas. St. Niklaus Day is celebrated on the eve of December 5^th, and children, and adults alike, place their shoes outside or at their door for St. Niklaus to leave treats in the shoes, per the Legend of St. Niklaus.

Around the US

No matter where the military sends families, there are some traditions that can be continued no matter what. Several families shared that they continue the magic of the Elf on the Shelf, which find them in places everywhere from Japan to Washington DC. The traditions of reading specific books or pajamas and cocoa on Christmas Eve can occur no matter where home is, although the pajamas maybe shorts and tank tops versus flannel, depending on the weather.

Italy

Italy celebrates the holidays with sweet treats and festivals, and light displays. Le Befana, the Christmas Witch per Italian stories, brings children gifts on January 5th.  The sweetened breads of panettone and pandoro are enjoyed throughout the holiday enjoyed, with and without the amazing Italian coffee. Thanks to global shipping, even after leaving Italy, military families are able to find these breads in the United States to reminisce on their time in Italy.

Japan

Mainland and Okinawa, Japan, go all out for the holidays. Scattered throughout the islands, hotels offer light-up shows on the hotel grounds. Some are set to music, and some are themed displays, but they all bring on the holiday joy of sparkling holiday lights. To celebrate the local way, you wouldn’t believe what food you need to find. The traditional holiday meal in December is Kentucky Fried Chicken! Yes, you read that correctly. The American chicken chain is very popular. Orders are taken early, and at pick-up time in Japanese efficiency; a table is set up outside for ease of pick-up. In the past, a holiday gift has been included with meals, including a bento box or holiday mug. The beautiful thing about this is that KFC can be enjoyed in the states after leaving Japan, but be warned, it doesn’t taste exactly the same.

Another Japanese treat is Japanese Christmas cake. The Christmas cake is a light, slightly sweetened cake topped with fruit that is delicious to taste and beautiful to look at.

In preparation for the New Year, giant decorations of Kagami mochi are seen in storefronts and along the streets. Added mochi varieties in highly decorated containers are available in grocery stores. To find similar mochi in the states, find your local Asian food market.

Great Britain

The holidays in Great Britain are celebrated with lights and trees and local treats. Mince pies, shortbread, and clotted cream are holiday favorites.  While recreating a snowy walk through the English countryside may not be replicated everywhere in the states, the treats may be available through a local British tea shop or the International aisle of the military Commissary.

While military families have celebrated the holidays around the world, these traditions that are experienced can continue no matter where the military sends us.

When you think of the holidays, what comes to mind? Does it conjure up images of shopping and wrapping gifts, bountiful feasts, or traveling? None of those things are cheap. It can be easy to go overboard on the shopping for gifts or food, and travel leads to an increase in cost, including eating out and the travel itself. In fact, per the National Retail Federation, the average American plans to spend about $800 in 2022 on holiday food, gifts, and decorations. But sticking to a budget can be done with a few key tips.

Determine Your Number

Analyze your budget and determine what number you want to spend for the holidays. Maybe it is $200, $300, $400. Determine what you can realistically spend on the holidays without going into debt. Start an excel sheet or Google sheet where you can write the amount at the top, and it will calculate the amount left after you enter each expenditure.

Alternative Gifts

Consider gifts that are not physical things. Consider volunteering for a cause together with your friend or family. Perhaps you both enjoy caring for animals – schedule time together to volunteer at an SPCA or local animal shelter. Consider spending one-on-one time doing something outdoors – hiking or walking together. Or perhaps borrowing a movie from the library and scheduling a date. Handmade gifts using what you have at home make great gifts as well. Don’t discount your own talents. All of these things require no spending money.

Make a Budget, and Stick To It

If you know you only have X amount of money to spend on gifts or travel, then stick to it. That is it. Don’t max out a credit card or get another credit card to pay for the holiday. Just don’t do it. You have already chosen your maximum holiday spending number. Be realistic about what you can spend on food and gifts. Hopefully, by planning for alternative gifts, you may be able to stretch that budget a bit more.

Coupon

This may sound silly, especially when you have limited time during the holiday season, but coupons and coupon codes for online shopping are abundant and can save you money. Before purchasing on Amazon or big box stores, do a quick search on your favorite web browser to look for other options for the same item. Don’t forget your grocery store app for coupons – these can usually be seamlessly linked to your rewards card. Utilize websites and applications like Rakuten, Ibotta, Checkout 51 to provide ways to save money on things you are purchasing anyway. You don’t have to be an extreme couponer. Just save on items you want.

You can stay on budget, but it can require vigilance, creativity, and sticking to the plan.

The holiday season, whether you are ready or not, is coming. If you are looking for a fresh Christmas tree to get you in the holiday mood, look no further than the Trees for Troops program. Trees for Troops is the organization developed to specifically deliver holiday cheer with free fresh trees to military families. Cost is a limiting factor for some looking for a fresh tree, and the program’s goal is to give as many military members as possible a tree for the holiday season.

About Trees for Troops

Trees for Troops, a program of Christmas SPIRIT, has been about 20 years. In 2005, FedEx partnered with Christmas SPIRIT with the goal of bringing Christmas Trees specifically to military families, with 277,001 trees over the last 17 years. Since that time, 262,265 farm-grown Christmas Trees have been delivered to military families across the United States and overseas! FedEx assists in delivering these trees to over 70 military bases around the world!

How to Get a Tree

All donated trees will be picked up in early December and delivered to military bases over the following 2 weeks. To see if your base is getting a delivery, check this link for a map or check the list below. If you are located at or near one of the bases, make sure to follow their social media pages to find out when the giveaway will be done. Each base operates its giveaways differently, so do not expect each base to have the same timing or order.

All branches of the Armed Forces are represented in donation sites.

The following Air Force Bases will be receiving donations:

• Davis-Monthan AFB – AZ
• Luke AFB – AZ
• March ARB – CA
• Homestead ARB – FL
• MacDill AFB – FL
• Scott AFB – IL
• Seymour Johnson AFB – NC
• Cannon AFB – NM
• Holloman AFB – NM
• Kirtland AFB – NM
• Nellis AFB – NV
• JB Charleston – SC
• Goodfellow AFB – TX
• JBSA Sam Houston – TX
• JB Langely-Eustis – VA
• Fairchild AFB – WA

The following Army Bases will be receiving donations:

• Fort Rucker – AL
• Fort Huachuca – AZ
• U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground – AZ
• Fort Hunter Liggett – CA
• Fort Irwin – CA
• Fort Carson – CO
• Fort Benning – GA
• Fort Gordon – GA
• Fort Stewart – GA
• Hunter Army Air Field – GA
• Rock Island Arsenal – IL
• Fort Leavenworth – KS
• Fort Riley – KS
• Fort Campbell – KY
• Fort Knox – KY
• Fort Polk – LA
• Fort Leonard Wood – MO
• Fort Bragg – NC
• West Point – NY
• Fort Drum – NY
• Fort Sill – OK
• Fort Bliss – TX
• Fort Hood – TX
• JB Lewis-McChord – WA
• Fort McCoy – WI

The following Marine Corps Bases will be receiving donations:

• MCAS YUMA – AZ
• MCAGCC Twentynine Palms – CA
• MCLB – Barstow – CA
• Camp Pendleton – CA
• MCAS Miramar – CA
• MCRD San Diego – CA
• Camp Lejeune – New River – NC
• MCAS Cherry Point – NC
• MCB Quantico – VA

The following Navy Bases will be receiving donations:

• NAS Lemoore – CA
• NAWS China Lake – CA
• Naval Base Ventura County – CA
• Naval Submarine Base New London – CT
• NAS Jacksonville – FL
• NS Mayport – FL
• NOTU Cape Canaveral – FL
• NAS Pensacola – FL
• NAS Whiting Field – FL
• NAS Key West – FL
• NSA Panama City – FL
• Naval Station Great Lakes – IL
• NAS JRB New Orleans – LA
• NAS Meridian – MS
• NCBC Gulfport – MS
• Naval Weapons Station Earle – NJ
• NSA Mid-South – TN
• NAS Corpus Christi – TX
• NAS Kingsville – TX
• NASJRB Fort Worth – TX
• JEB Little Creek-Fort Story – VA
• NWS Yorktown – VA
• NB Kitsap-Bangor – WA

The following Coast Guard Bases will be receiving donations:

• Sector San Francisco – CA
• Sector Jacksonville – FL
• Pay and Personnel Center – KS
• Sector New Orleans – LA
• Sector Detroit – MI
• Sector North Carolina – NC
• Sector New York – NY
• Sector Columbia River – OR
• Station Houston – TX
• USCG Base Portsmouth – VA
• BBK Bangor – WA

Support Through Donations

The Christmas Spirit Foundation is able to provide Christmas Trees for military families thanks to donations. Donations can be done online and off here.  You can also select the Christmas Spirit Foundation as the organization you want to donate to through Amazon Smile. Through the Amazon Smile program, Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of what you purchase to the organization.

If you are living in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, New Jersey or Illinois, you can purchase a tree to be donated by visiting select locations listed here.

The holiday season can be filled with mixed emotions for military families. Military members are deployed or participating in training, no matter the time of year. Military families may be new to an area. Traveling can be a large expense that cannot be done, especially if a military move with added expenses was recently executed. In 2022, there are many holiday programs that plan throughout the year to support military families. If you or you know a family who could use a program, read this and pass this on.

Operation Holiday Joy

The Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) organization provides support and programs to active-duty military families throughout the year. The holiday program is no different. Operation Holiday Joy is a program that provides food and gifts to active duty and family members. Check the local branch for sign-up dates.

If you want to donate to the program or know someone who wants to, read more about donations here.

Operation Christmas Spirit

The organization adopts active duty and Gold Star families and provides them with gifts for the holiday season. The gifts range from gas cards to toys to grocery gift cards.

Unit nominations are accepted from the following bases:

– Camp Pendleton

– 29 Palms

– MCAS Miramar

– Naval Base San Diego

– MCRD San Diego

– Quantico

– Fort Sam Houston

– Lackland AFB

– Fort Carson

– Buckley AFB

– Joint Base MacDill

– Camp Lejeune

– New River Air Station

– Fort Belvoir

– Fort Bragg

To be an eligible active-duty family, families must be E5 or below, any rank with 4+ children, any rank with a justification of a need, or families with a legitimate need for assistance. Gold Star families with children aged 17 and under, Gold Star spouses, or guardians of Gold Star children are eligible to apply.

Applications are accepted here and are open November 1^st -2^nd and 15^th and 16th.

Operation Homefront

Operation Homefront has two programs for military families. Holiday Meals for Military Families provide a holiday meal. Each location of Operation Homefront has different eligibility criteria and registration details. Check the link above to find an event near you and what eligibility criteria are required for your area. Some programs are open to all ranks and include veterans, and some areas are open to E1-E6 only.

Operation Homefront also has Holiday Toy Drive. Collection Bins are located at different businesses and at Dollar Tree collecting toys, and the toys are distributed based on volume.

Toys for Tots

Veterans qualify for support through Toys for Tots. Toys for Tots provides new, unwrapped toys to those in need. Apply to get a toy here.

USO

The USO has programs all year round for military families. To find a program near you, find the USO location near you here or check out the social media for the local USO. Each USO location is different, so the programming differs. It could be a meal as a family, a meal for service members, or toy giveaways. In the past, they have had programs where children can “shop” for their parents. Each of these programs is typically open to all, but check the eligibility criteria for each program and sign up early.

Operation Ride Home

The Armed Forces YMCA has a program called Operation Ride Home. The program offers up to $500 in airfare costs and $125 for vehicle travel. Flights must be booked through the ASYMCA coordinator, and use the Command Form to apply. Applicants must be E5 and below. There is no requirement to be married or have a family; it is open to single or married service members. Apply here.

Marine Corps League

Marine Corps League locations are operated by League members, so programming differs based on the Marine Corps League office. Look for programs through the National website for which programming may be available in the local area.

Soldiers Angels Adopt a Family

The Adopt-A-Family program connects businesses and organizations to support military and veteran family members by providing holiday gifts and a grocery gift card.

Applications opened for military families on September 7^th, 2022.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Service member is deployed, are rank E1-E6, and meet income requirements
• Honorobly discharge Post-911 Wounded Ill, and Injured service members and veterans
• HUD/VASH veteran families
• All families must have a biological or step-child age 18 and under

Businesses or volunteers interested in adopting families will open October 5, 2022. 

If there is a program that isn’t listed, let us know so we can update and provide that information for others!

The financial burden felt by military members across the world is felt even more during the holiday time. The grocery bills increase with larger meals and visiting family or friends, and the cost of holiday gifts or out-of-the-area travel leads to larger than normal expenses. One of the larger expenses is the holiday meal. There are several programs developed for military families, specifically with a gift for a turkey and/or holiday meal.

Turkey for Troops from the USO

Many branches of the USO have holiday meal programs. For instance, the USO-Metro offers holiday meal baskets to active duty service members ranked E1-E6 stationed in the area. Registration for their program opens mid-October, and those chosen will be notified the first week of November. The program also includes crafts and family activities. Check your local USO here.

Operation Homefront

The Holiday Meals for Military Program from Operation Homefront provides holiday meals for military members with deployed service members.  Holiday meal sign-ups are open NOW, and can fill quickly, so make sure to check out the eligibility criteria and sign up if you meet the criteria. Some programs are open to all ranks and include veterans, and some areas are open to E1-E6 only.

To volunteer to help with the program, click here.

Those who want to provide corporate sponsorship can click here.

Churches

Many churches around large military bases have programs for military families. Watch for flyers or posts on local social media for alerts. This is a way for the local area to share and show support for military families, so be sure to keep an eye out and share with your local unit.

Housing Agencies

If you are living in military housing, keep a watch out for giveaways or programs from the military housing agencies for meal giveaways. Partnering local organizations sometimes reach out to the housing agency on base because they have a direct link to military families to provide a giveaway.

Holiday Events

Another link to military families is the holiday events that are held on installation.  The local community will sometimes connect with the service branch community services or Fleet and Family Services for giveaways during the holiday event. Pies, turkeys, or holiday groceries are sometimes given away. If you are planning to attend a holiday event on base, listen to the schedule for the event.