Holiday 4 Heroes
Written by capecoralsun
Who Are We? Holiday4Heroes was founded in 2007 by Jonette Kessack, who owned a postage and wine store. This grassroots effort was started to fill a need to provide comfort and care to our deployed men and women all over the world. We are a group of team members, volunteers and business owners who had a desire to show our military that we remember them and appreciate their sacrifices for us.
“We Give Because They Give”
What Do We Do? What started as a holiday program, our first year sending 40 packages, became a year-round effort. We now send 100 to 200 comfort packages each month to our brave men and women, and 1,000 packages for our holiday mission. We have now sent almost a total of 20,000 packages. To fill the need at home we have added more programs for our community to serve our in-need and homeless veterans and their families.
Additions To The Mission
In 2019, we started our Backpack for Homeless and In-Need Veterans Program partnering with the VA and various homeless coalitions. Our backpacks are filled with personal care items, high protein snacks and information on where to get help. In 2020, we began distributing bulk food drops to our in-need veterans and their families through the VA food pantry. In 2021 our local VA Clinic asked us if we could help fill a need in our community. We were asked if we could provide tents and water filtration bottles for our veterans who are losing their homes during the current housing crisis. In 2022 we realized that some of our Mission Make Merry Families, sometimes, need a little extra help for emergencies. When funds are available, we provide what we can to help our families get through these difficult times with a little less stress. Please read about some of the things we are doing for our families
Mission Make Merry
As the mission evolves, Holiday4Heroes supports our military families at home by giving them a Christmas filled with joy and less worries. Every year we provide a merrier Christmas for local military families, who may be going through some difficult times. These families are recommended to us through the VA. The first year we started with three families. Last year we were able to help 23 families. Fast forward to 2023, we are currently seeking donations and all the necessary trimmings to help our veterans’ families make their holiday season a little bit brighter. This year, through the tremendous generosity of our community, we are hoping to be able to include gift certificates for food to help out with Thanksgiving dinner too.
How You Can Help
We are always being asked “what can we buy” or “what do you need.” Each and every donation is needed and appreciated! There are many ways to help: Attend events, purchase monthly raffle tickets, pick up a box and fill it with supplies, volunteer to help pack boxes, make a monetary donation to help with costs, become a sponsor, donate gift cards and much more. If you would like to help, please send your contact information to [email protected] has taken over volunteer services and is an amazing addition to our committee. Packing dates are set and you will be able to sign up in advance! Visit our website www.holiday4heroes.com for a list of supplies needed and for more information.
Holiday4Heroes
3990 Wholesale Court, Suite 2, North Fort Myers, FL 33903(239) 677-9923
*Only open on certain days, please call to find out availability
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