For some military members, the holidays mean spending it without their loved ones. But this Christmas a nonprofit organization hopes to brighten the spirits of deployed service members and veterans.
Soldiers’ Angels volunteers and staff are stuffing holiday stockings that will be shipped to service members deployed to combat zones and veteran patients in VA hospitals.
“For service members that are deployed, sometimes this is the only thing that they’ll be getting, especially if they don’t have family back home,” said Amy Palmer, president and CEO of Soldiers’ Angels.
The nonprofit will be shipping more than 40,000 stockings. They have different items, snacks and a special message from Soldiers’ Angels.
For retired army veteran Rich Scott, helping stuff stockings is what the holidays is all about. He remembers what it was like to receive care packages.
“I got care packages in Afghanistan and Iraq, and it was really cool to be able to share that the things that I got in those packages with other people,” Scott said.
The nonprofit is looking for volunteers to help stuff the stockings and monetary donations to help with shipping costs.
“I love being able to just, you know, put a little care into something that somebody is going to open over the holidays and be reminded that folks are thinking about them and folks are caring about them,” Scott said.
And just in time for the holidays, Soldiers’ Angels is also distributing food to 200 at-risk or homeless veteran families in San Antonio. To volunteer for the food distribution, click here.