Home Front Hearts December News - Help Military Families this Holiday Season!

From the Heart

Serving the Families that Serve our Country

December 2011

Dear ,

Home Front Hearts is excited to share our monthly "From the Heart" newsletter with you!

A Holiday Wish For Our Troops

H ome Front Hearts is sending your way

A bounding happiness this holiday.

P rayers are with you all the time...

P eace be with you - this

Y uletide time, and

H oping your day is quiet and calm,

O nly pleasant moments, away from all harm...

L azing around, some time to relax

I n solidarity and friendship, without any attacks.

D uty will call again tomorrow...

A wake and revived, there'll be no sorrow,

Y ou'll heed the call, but for today...

S eason's Greetings are sent your way.

-- Written by Dee, Home Front Hearts' Volunteer

Adopt a Military Family for the Holidays

Once again, we are looking for people and organizations who are interested in adopting a military family for the holiday season. Last year, Home Front Hearts was able to distribute winter wear, food items, toiletries, toys, gifts, and clothes to over 500 military families during the holiday season.

Here is what we have in store this year:

We have already provided over 3600 toys to NJ's National Guard families for their holiday drill parties with the help of Dollar Tree.

We provided $550 in gift cards and dozens of toys to the children of several military units due to deploy in the next few months.

We sent hundreds of gloves scarves and hats to the children of Afghanistan, where one of our NJ Guard units is currently stationed.

With the help of Toys R Us, we expect to donate in excess of 500 toys which will be shared with Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst's Operation Santa Claus to give military families a chance to "shop" for their children's presents.

We currently have about 12 "Adopt A Family" military families with about 30 children between them. "Adopters" include two synagogues, a church, a corporation, a civic service group, a preschool and several individuals.

We are still receiving referrals of military families who need assistance at this time and we need your help to provide these families with a joyous holiday season and a great start to 2012!

Would you like to help bring holiday joy to a local military family? If so, please contact Randi at rscairns@homefronthearts.org.

Home Front Hearts Delivers Holiday Joy to Military Kids

Home Front Hearts, a 501(c)(3) non-profit focused on providing services, support, and recognition to military families in New Jersey, is expanding efforts to collect donations in preparation for their third year of delivering holiday joy to hundreds of military kids.

"Santa" Randi Cairns, Home Front Hearts Founder and Executive Director, leads her team of volunteer elves on this mission of love and support as they engage the community to assist in their efforts. "Holidays are a special time for all children, military or not. Military kids give up so much and sacrifice year round so our goal is to add a little magic to their holidays," states Ms. Cairns.

Randi's elves include a very special group of supporters who work diligently to help with this holiday effort - her four children, Katie, PJ, Connor, and Sara. These military kids understand how difficult it is to spend holidays, birthdays...every day of the year without Dad, because their father is currently deployed to a war zone. Staying busy and helping mom sort and package toys for other kids makes the holidays a little more meaningful and brings "Dad" a little closer, because they know how proud he is of them.

Home Front Hearts elves have several methods for providing gifts to military kids. Toys and treats are collected and delivered by Santa at multiple parties on base and at reserve centers. Home Front Hearts also works with donors who choose to "Adopt A Military Child" or "Adopt a Military Family" who have more critical needs.

Examples of gifts Home Front Hearts assisted with last year include a hot water heater, beds/bedding, gift cards for food, utility and house payments, and of course, toys and clothes chosen for individual kids from their personal wish lists.

Home Front Hearts is supported by donations from churches and synagogues, corporations, and caring individuals.

This year, Home Front Hearts was chosen by a large toy manufacturer as their representative to deliver Christmas joy to hundreds of additional military children, allowing us to spread Christmas cheer to even more military households.

Home Front Hearts received an urgent request last week to assist an additional 182 military kids outside our current numbers.

Any person or organization wishing to help support our holiday effort can send gift cards (address on website) or donate through Pay Pal (designate for Holiday Giving) on the Home Front Hearts website at www.homefronthearts.org.

Article originally published by Thank You for Your Service at:

http://thankyouforyourservice.us/issue/nov-15-dec-1-2011-issue/article/home-front-hearts-delivers-holiday-joy-to-military-kids

Interested in Volunteering?

Home Front Hearts is looking for a New Jersey-based volunteer to help manage and expand its volunteer program. Volunteer duties would include recruiting new volunteers, matching volunteers with current project needs, tracking volunteer time, and maintaining ongoing communication with volunteers. Much of the volunteer work can be performed in your own home, but having knowledge of, attending events, and conducting outreach in the local community would be a big help! This is a long-term volunteer position, with a very flexible schedule.

Interested? Please view the complete volunteer description here:

http://www.idealist.org/view/volop/35FGnwS3PNWmD

or email Amy at aschofield@homefronthearts.org.

Real Warriors Campaign Features Home Front Hearts in its December Partner Spotlight

Home Front Hearts was featured in The Real Warriors Campaign's December Partner Spotlight. The Real Warriors Campaign collaborates with a variety of not-for-profit organizations that share its mission and can help reach out to service members, families and health care providers. Its network of partners and affiliates includes military organizations and programs, nonprofit organizations, advocacy organizations and local groups. Through communication and collaboration with these organizations, the campaign can offer the most relevant and up-to-date resources and provide partners with easy and effective outreach mechanisms. To view Home Front Hearts' spotlight, visit this site: http://www.realwarriors.net/partner.

About Us

Home Front Hearts was born of the desire to honor those who serve and their families. At Home Front Hearts, it is our intention to give voice to the families who also serve when their loved ones are called to duty; and to call to action the communities in which they live.

The mission of Home Front Hearts is to serve the families that serve our country by: providing support and resources to the families of service members, increasing public awareness of the struggles and sacrifices of military families, and engaging both individuals and businesses in building communities that are responsive to the needs of these families.

Would you like to help Home Front Hearts serve military families? Then spread the word about our organization or click here to see how you can get involved!

Sincerely,

Randi Cairns

Founder/Executive Director

Home Front Hearts, Inc.

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