Economy Hits Groups Helping Military Families
Groups that help military families are reporting a drop in cash donations.
Dec. 6, 2009 -- Groups that help military families are reporting a drop in cash donations at a time of greater need for those struggling in a down economy while one or more parents fight in Iraq or Afghanistan.
"We're seeing an increase in requests for assistance this year over the same time last year," says Jim Knotts, chief executive of Operation Homefront, a charitable organization that helps military families. Knotts cited an 86% increase in requests for food assistance over last year. "We attribute that to the effects of the economy."
Although active-duty troops can count on a regular paycheck from Uncle Sam, many military families face the same pressures affecting other Americans during this downturn: Spouses are having difficulty finding work, and mounting debts and foreclosures are forcing them out of rental homes, says John Alexander of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society.
Beginning today, Operation Homefront will team up with Wal-Mart to provide "pop up" toy stores in parking lots near the six bases that have deployed the most troops. Thousands of selected parents will be able to choose holiday gifts provided by Wal-Mart.
"That's going to give my kids at least four gifts a piece, which was no way I could afford," says Nicole Gardner, 26, of Raeford, N.C., whose husband is in Iraq with the 82nd Airborne Division. They have three children.
"I was talking about canceling Christmas or giving them one little thing apiece and that's it," Gardner says.
MILITARY FAMILIES: Help comes in creative ways
The $1.1 million holiday giving effort will provide toys to 10,000 children at temporary toy stores outside military installations at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Hood and Fort Bliss in Texas, Fort Campbell in Kentucky, Fort Stewart in Georgia and Camp Pendleton in California, says Margaret McKenna, president of the Wal-Mart Foundation.
Wal-Mart will also give $1,000 shopping sprees to 50 families chosen by Operation Homefront and 1,000 gift baskets to caregivers of wounded servicemembers.
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