Giving Back to the Military Community During The Holidays

When the holiday season is in full swing, you may find yourself super busy between holiday parties, family time, and shopping for your loved ones. It’s always good to slow down and take some time for reflection. Also, the holiday season is a great time to give back to the military community. Not sure what you can do?  Well, I’ve listed some ideas below.

Operation Cookie Drop: I’m not sure if Operation Cookie Drop is well-known throughout all of the branches of service, but the Air Force has a yearly tradition of baking cookies and passing them out to the Troops that live in the barracks. The Troops absolutely love this! It’s a reminder they have not been forgotten. It can be especially difficult for many of them being so far away from their home and family during the holidays.

If your duty station doesn’t have this program, it might be a wonderful opportunity to invite some friends or fellow spouses over for a baking party. It’s a perfect recipe for holiday fellowship and home baked cookies for our Troops.

Sponsor a Troop: Like Operation Cookie Drop, this focuses on the younger Troops living in the barracks. Not everyone gets to go home during the holidays to visit family due to work schedules, finances, etc. So, sponsoring a junior service member is a great way to bring the feeling of home to someone. The dining facility typically hosts a holiday meal, but let’s be honest, there is nothing better than some good home cooking!

Angel Tree Program: Many bases will put up an Angel Tree in the Exchange. This tree is decorated with envelopes containing information with a child’s age and gender along with suggested gift items. This program directly supports military families that need financial assistance and may not have the means to purchase gifts. If your location does not have an Angel Tree, you may still be able to help a needy family by contacting your Unit’s First Sergeant.

Volunteer your time: I was stationed at a base a few years ago and I noticed many spouses would volunteer their time to allow fellow neighbors and friends to go shopping for gifts. They would babysit at no cost which I found to be so generous. Sometimes giving back and helping out can be a small gesture, but can mean so much. If you aren’t comfortable babysitting you could easily volunteer your services to help wrap gifts or even be a personal shopper.

We all know the military lifestyle can be tough and it’s important to stick together. I definitely plan to take some time for reflection, but will also make sure to lend a helping hand wherever I can. 

These are just a few ideas for giving back during the holidays. The DOD website also has special Holiday Troop Traditions you can explore and the Veteran.com Community website has additional ideas for the Troops also! Can you think of other ways to give back during the holiday season?  Let us know in the comments!

From My Family to Yours – Happy Holidays!

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