Support Our Troops

More than Just Care Packages for the Holidays

By Alison Buckholtz

Many of us want to reach out and support our troops during the holidays. The days of addressing mail to “Any Service Member” are long gone, yet there are many ways to lend a hand to our American troops deployed overseas, as well as their families on the home front.

For example, you can send funds to provide service members with care packages, foster a military member’s pet, donate a Christmas tree to a platoon, or volunteer to care for veterans in your area. There are so many organizations that exist to do well by the troops that sometimes it’s hard to sort them out. Here, we’ve selected 11 of the most well known and reputable ways to offer help.

Support Families of Recovering Soldiers

When soldiers are injured, their entire family becomes involved in the healing process–and short-term relocation is often the biggest challenge.

Fisher House provides a home away from home that enables family members to be close to a loved one during the most stressful time. There are many ways to support Fisher House, including its “Hero Miles” program; airline passengers donate their frequent flyer miles to assist service members who are undergoing treatment at a military or VA medical center. The Walter Reed Society, based at the nation’s foremost military hospital, also accepts donations that help the quality of life for soldiers and their families during the recovery period.