A letter begins: “Imagine you’re thousands of miles from home. While many Americans are at home planning to celebrate [the holidays] together, you’re missing family and friends. To top things off, you’re laying your life on the line on a daily, even hourly, basis.”
“You’re an American service member.”
These words by Convoy of Hope partner Operation Uplift summarize the struggle that many military service members feel every Christmas season. When they are unable to go home for the holidays, a sense of normalcy can bring real help and hope.
Convoy is proud to partner with organizations each holiday season to make that hope a reality.
In December, we had the chance to work with Operation Uplift and a long-term partner, The Warrior’s Journey, to pack and deliver care packages to service members around the world.
Close to 400 volunteers showed up at an Operation Uplift location in Blue Springs, Missouri, to fill boxes with items like Bombas socks, hygiene kits, and small snacks, but also books on PTSD from The Warrior’s Journey, Christmas cards, and connection cards to Abundant Life church, who helped at the event.
“We’re just looking to boost morale, show them they are loved and not forgotten, and that people they don’t even know care and support them,” said Operation Uplift co-founder Jason Simonin.
Care packages this year were delivered to bases in Kuwait, Baghdad, and the Middle East, as well as the USS Kansas City Navy ship and the USS Missouri battleship.
Operation Uplift has been working since 2017 to send out care packages to troops. To date, they have sent around 15,000 packages to service members around the world. It’s not unusual for them to receive videos and photos from men and women in service around the world who are grateful to receive reminders of home in their care packages.
The Warrior’s Journey works to connect warriors in crisis with people and organizations who can help and resource them. In 2023, they provided case management support to over 6,000 service members in crisis and saved 389 lives through their suicide intervention efforts — bringing total suicide interventions to 2,087 people.
This year’s event was made possible by volunteers from across Missouri and other states: Businesses like UPS, US Bank, and HCA Health Care were represented, and congregation members from Abundant Life Church came to help out. Fellow service members showed up to help pack kits for brothers and sisters in arms.
Convoy is honored to work with such incredible organizations who make hope possible for service members during Christmas and throughout the year.
To volunteer with Operation Uplift and help pack kits next Christmas, visit helpuplift.org. To support the work of The Warrior’s Journey, visit thewarriorsjourney.org.
