At Christmas, we must help bring back the true meaning to our troops, veterans, and their families. Many families will not have loved ones -either because of serving abroad or the ultimate sacrifice of a loved one dying for our country.
So, let's all do our part for veterans, troops, and military families to feel loved this Christmas.
· Prepare a package: Send Christmas care packages to our troops. (Please see details below.)
· Contact nursing homes. Contact nursing homes and ask for a way to send a bouquet, a box of gifts, or have Christmas bedside table arrangements delivered in honor of all veterans or military widows/widowers in the home.
· Ask if there would be a way to send cards to all or even just one of them.
· Or just send an e-mail. If you have kids, include pictures of drawings by your kids to veterans or their widows/widowers.
· Order a meal for a military family. Military families sacrifice so much, too. If you know a family whose husband, wife, son, daughter, mom, or dad can't come home for Christmas, reach out to them. Do something to acknowledge them and offer your thanks and prayers.
· Order pillows for servicemen and women. Our servicemen and women do without many comforts so that we can live in freedom and peace. For example, did you that when troops are deployed they don't have a pillow to rest on? You can change that through Project Pillows. Click here to learn how you can help. It's easy and so helpful.
· Send old-fashioned Christmas cards that could add a splash of Christmas color to military quarters.
· Or, send acceptable Christmas decorations.
· Write e-mails and attach files that include photos to print off and use for décor. If anything, it will be a day brightener for the recipient.
· Offer to help schedule a Skype call to bring a friendly face from back home into his/her life at Christmas. Not all military families have the technology to Skype with their loved ones in the military. Loan your smartphone or laptop for a specified time so they can Skype with their loved one over Christmas. Now that would be an incredible gift!
· Keep a gift card in your purse or wallet. That way you are ready to encourage a veteran on a moment's notice.
· Keep your eyes open. If you see a need, put some thought into what you can do to help. It's amazing how a small gesture of thoughtfulness can mean so much.
Together we can make a difference. We urge you to do something this Christmas season to support and pray for our heroes and their families. America, now is the time to unite and stand with our military. We need them...but they also need us.