This post was sponsored by the MetLife TRICARE Dental Program as part of an Ambassador Program for Influence Central.
It’s so easy to get wrapped up into the holidays (no pun intended, honest!) from carefully making your list, selecting gifts, mailing Christmas cards, baking holiday goodies, planning your gatherings and then getting together with your families. It’s the “most wonderful time of the year” but it can also be a little hectic and downright stressful. That said, we all need to take a few deep breaths and remember that this is also the season for giving, for teaching our children to care about the world and the people in it and to worry less about what they will have under the tree and more about those that will have nothing, or worse, the families whose loved ones are away serving our country and missing Christmas, and every day, at home with their families.
Showing our Military Appreciation seems to come naturally on Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day but, we should be finding ways to say thank you to these brave men and women all year long, and why not on Christmas?! I would like to say a giant thank you and happy holidays to all those who serve and to the families that support them!!
Send Christmas Cards to the Troops
Send cards with five-sentence-minimum messages inside in unsealed envelopes to Operation Christmas Cards, 867 Grafton St. #10 #2, Worcester, MA 01604. Children’s drawings and pictures are welcome. If you’d rather send money, you can sponsor a $17 box full of 400 cards for soldiers.
Or, become a community member with Soldiers Angels here.
Or, the 2015 Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign affiliated with the American Red Cross continues to be conducted in local communities across the U.S. There is no longer a national Holiday Mail for Heroes P.O. Box to which cards are sent. Local Red Cross offices will collect, sort, and distributing the holiday cards using an events-based approach in their local communities. Local Red Cross offices will:
- Hold events to sign or make holiday cards
- Schedule card-sorting times
- Coordinate card delivery to the military, vets and families in their communities
And, Hugs for Soldiers accepts care packages and Christmas cards for soldiers, too.
Support Operation Shoe Box
Operation Shoebox embraces a practical mission of providing hands-on support for our troops deployed overseas and returning home. It is the mission of Operation Shoebox to meet the needs of every hero with dignity and appreciation. Whether it looks like packing coffee, socks, toothpaste and sports gear into care packages or sending letters of encouragement, whether it looks like organizing fundraisers or collecting supplies for homeless veterans, Operation Shoebox is committed to treating every hero with care and honor.
Bake treats, make blankets, provide calling cards and more
Soldier’s Angels is a comprehensive website full of creative ways to show love to our troops “so that no soldier may go unloved”.
Here are just a few ideas from the site:
- Adopt a Soldier – Individualized support throughout deployment
- Angel Bakers – Homemade treats for the deployed
Send Santa To The Troops
Consider making a donation to Operation Care Package. Operation Care Package is a volunteer 501 (c)(3) public charity, dedicated to the mission that no Hero serving our Nation should be forgotten. Their goal is to support our Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen through care packages and letters of encouragement.
Wreaths Across America
Sponsor A Wreath For A Veteran’s Grave. Details here.
Thank You MetLife TRICARE Dental
This post was sponsored by MetLife TRICARE Dental as part of their desire to say Thank You to those serving this holiday season and their commitment to show their support and say thank you to all military friends and family that participate in the TRICARE Dental Program. The TDP offers a provider network of 250,000+ dental locations around the world. MetLife network dentists are able to offer enrolled National Guard and Reserve members the Department of Defense Active Duty/Reserve Forces Dental Exam for DD Form 2813 at not cost. The TDP
- All TDP beneficiaries are eligible to receive two routine cleanings within a consecutive 12-month period.
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Under the TRICARE Dental Program (TDP), pregnant women may receive a third routine dental cleaning in a consecutive 12-month period at no extra cost when provided by a participating dental provider.
- The TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) Survivor Benefit is available to eligible surviving family members to support their dental needs during this difficult time.
- The TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) offers comprehensive orthodontic services.
Learn More About MetLife TRICARE Dental:
2015 Winter Health Matters Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1mbgftc
MetLife TDP website: www.metlife.com/tricare
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetLifeTDP
Twitter: https://twitter.com/metlifetdp
How does your family show their military appreciation during the holidays?
