I love the holiday season -- the glowing lights that decorate homes in sparking colors, the smell of pine in the air. But most of all I treasure the joy and anticipation of counting down the days to Christmas. I love to watch the enthusiasm that heightens each day when my children move the snowflake in our advent calendar to bring Christmas morning that much closer.
I could sense that same joy and enthusiasm last week when I caught a glimpse into the lives of the military families served by Operation Homefront. But even deeper than their holiday cheer runs a sense of duty. Much like the spouse who signed up to serve in the military, the family shares this desire to serve, too.
Throughout last Friday’s toy shop events at locations where military families could select free toys for their children, other military families pitched in to help. They not only helped set up our toy shop the first day, they also returned the next to volunteer to help our special shoppers. Only late in the day would these volunteers admit that they, too, had signed up to get toys for their families and ask to take a break to pick out their own toys. It happened everywhere Operation Homefront and Walmart opened its doors to military families.
I was deeply touched by their selfless service.
For instance, there was a Father of five children whose wife is deployed to Iraq, only 3 of their children qualified for the toy shop. He happily shopped for his 3 youngest children at the event and thanked everyone as he left. A little while later he came back and went into the volunteer room with bags of food and drinks for the volunteers. He said, “you helped me, now I want to help you. You don’t know how much this means to me”. Kathy Cox, from Walmart was so touched by this veteran’s actions that while he was getting ready to leave, asked us to gather some presents for his older two children. We presented him with the gifts for the older two children as he was leaving, and he cried tears of gratitude. It was a great moment.
Or Consuela Kelly-Crisler who sent a note stating, “I just wanted to thank you again for bringing some Christmas cheer to my family. This year is difficult with my husband being deployed...yet again. So far it's been every other year, he is gone for the holidays. Makes it difficult for me to put up the tree and decorations, bake and make out Christmas cards when I'm so blue, but I do it for the children.
Operation Homefront has been more than kind to us. I did indeed contact my husband yesterday gushing with excitement and told him all the goodies I got for the kids. He thought it was so wonderful. Seeing those gifts under the tree has been uplifting to say the least. But most of all, knowing there are people like you out there who truly care about us that's the biggest blessing. God bless you and Operation Homefront...and everyone who played a part in this project. Thank you.”
And then there was Lanie Ditkanian, she has 4 children ages 12 to 2; the youngest suffers a congenital heart defect. Her husband has deployed to Iraq four times. This Christmas is one of the first in three years that he will be home with the family.
“This time of year is very difficult for military families, especially for the young children during the holidays,” she said. “In years past, we would spend a nice small Christmas at home, and even when my children opened their presents, they were still lonely and missed their father. It is very nice to have him home this year, and to share Christmas with the entire family.”
Lanie didn’t just come to the toy shop to receive free toys for her family. She also wanted to give back.
“I know from personal experience that I am very grateful for what the community does for us military families, and a lot of times there isn’t an opportunity to give back or to share my appreciation, not only to the people who make donations to us, but to other military families, too. Volunteering at this event was a way to give back for all of the help I’ve received and to help out other military families, too,” she said.
The day before the toy shop opened, two tractor trailer trucks from Walmart arrived loaded with toys for military children. Lanie and 12-year-old son Bailey spent several hours unloading the toys, unpacking the boxes, setting up decorations and stacking the presents on the tables.
“I wasn’t certain how my son would react to volunteering, but to my surprise he thought it was cool to volunteer and he couldn’t wait to help out at the toy shop the next day,” she said.
Bailey was the youngest volunteer at the toy shop. He served as a personal shopper who helped spouses pick out toys for their own kids. Lanie proudly accepted praise for her son from other shoppers even as she herself guided moms and dads through toy selections. Then it was Lanie’s turn to shop.
“The person who helped me was very kind,” Lanie said. “(The volunteer) had always wanted to give back to the military community and didn’t know how – that is, until she found Operation Homefront.” Each family that took part shared their heart-felt thanks. Here’s how Lanie shared hers:
“I just really wanted to say thank you to Walmart and everyone who worked with Operation Homefront. This gift to military families is more meaningful than we could ever express, especially during the holiday season when many fathers and mothers are deployed and there are many families who are missing a parent. A huge thank you to Walmart – and Operation Homefront – it was wonderful.”