Spread Holiday Cheer to Soldiers, Veterans and Their Families
Donate gift cards, canned goods, coats and more.
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Spread the Love this Holiday Season to the Armed Forces - The holiday season is a time for families to unite and spend quality time together, but what if your family member is an injured veteran or deployed in the armed forces? In 2009 African-Americans comprised approximately 20 percent of the active-duty Army, 13 percent of the Army National Guard and 22 percent of the Army Reserve. The holiday season can be tough for service men and women and their families; check out BET.com’s tips on ways how you spread holiday cheer to soldiers and/or their families. — Dominique Zonyéé (@DominiqueZonyee)(Photo: Jacom Stephens/GettyImages)
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Adopt a Soldier - Join the volunteer organization Adopt a Soldier to show deployed troops a taste of home with your friendship while they are serving the country. Connect with soldiers by your letters and packages to a single soldier for the duration of their deployment or register through Project Frontlines for a one time donation to a unit. Sign up here.(Photo: Courtesy Adopt A US Soldier)
Photo By Photo: Courtesy Adopt A US Soldier
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Holiday Mail for Heroes - The Red Cross’s Holiday Mail for Heroes program allows Americans to send letters, gifts and more to deployed soldiers. These gifts are not personal since the cards and gifts are handed out to random soldiers to let them know they are loved. Visit the Red Cross here for card and gift guidelines.(photo: Courtesy The American Red Cross)
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What Do Homeless Veterans Need? - Approximately 13 percent of the population are veterans. Roughly 40 percent of all homeless veterans are African-American or Hispanic, despite only accounting for 10.4 and 3.4 percent the U.S. veteran population. During colder seasons, vets could use coats, blankets, gloves, hats and canned foods which require minimal cooking. Visit the National Association of Black Veterans website here to find a chapter to donate to near you.(Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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What to Include In Your Care Package? - Soldiers abroad need as many reminders from home as possible during the holiday season. You can include pre-paid calling cards, homemade playlists of their favorite music, their favorite lotions and fragrances and yummy holiday treats such as chocolate covered pretzels. Visit here for more ideas of what to send troops.(Photo: Jacom Stephens/GettyImages)
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What Do Their Families Need - “Just because it is the holidays, toys are not the only things military families need,” Wendy McCleadon, a veteran and the president and CEO of Black Veterans for Social Justice told BET.com. If you want to help out military and veteran families, think about donating gift cards from American Express or Visa to be redeemed at stores which sell a variety of necessities such as food, toiletries, paper goods and more.(Photo: Courtesy American Express)
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Connect With Military Children - The Black Veterans for Social Justice in Brooklyn, New York, is dedicated to assisting children of veterans or with parents in the armed forces. This year more than 100 children will receive Kwanzaa gifts and learn the importance of unity and Kwanzaa. For more information on how to donate, visit here.(Photo: Courtesy Black Veterans for Social Justice, Inc.)