• Home
  • Military Discounts
    • Military & Veteran Discount List
    • Local Military & Veterans Discounts
    • Apple Military Discount
    • Veteran & Military Cell Phone Discounts
    • Gym and Health Club Discounts
    • Veterans Day Deals & Discounts
    • Veterans Day Free Meals
  • Benefits
    • 10 Veterans Benefits You May Not Know About
    • Top Military Spouse Benefits
    • Medal of Honor Benefits
    • Purple Heart Benefits
    • Veterans Health A to Z
  • Housing & Home Ownership
    • 2021 BAH Rates
    • BAH Calculator
    • VA Loan Limits by County
    • VA Home Loan Guide
    • 5 Benefits of a VA Loan
    • VA Home Loan Tools
  • Money & Finance
    • 2021 Defense Budget
    • 2021 Military Pay Charts
    • 2021 BAS Rates
    • 2021 Military Pay
    • COLA Watch 2022
    • Military Pay Calculator
    • Military Pay Dates
    • VA Disability Rates
  • Jobs
    • Veteran Friendly Employers
    • Military Spouse Employment Preference
    • Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS)
    • Security Clearance Jobs After the Military
  • Education
    • Veteran Friendly Colleges
    • Online Colleges with Military Discounts
    • Veteran Friendly Colleges Guide
    • Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA)
    • Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) for the GI Bill
    • Forever GI Bill
    • School Search
  • Resources
    • How to Get a Veterans ID Card
    • Veterans ID on Driver’s License or ID Card by State
    • Military ID Cards
    • Military Calendar
    • State Veteran’s Benefits

Military Benefits

Military Benefits Information for US Military, Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard, Military Spouses and Military Family

You are here: Home / Resources / Adopt a Soldier for the Holidays

Adopt a Soldier for the Holidays

by MilitaryBenefits

Many Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen are unable to go home for the holidays each year. Thankfully, most bases have official Adopt A Service Member programs or non-profits, and some local communities organize to connect service members with local families to host for the holidays. These programs are known by many names such as “Operation Home Cooking,” “Adopt An Airman,” “Host A Marine,” “Adopt A Soldier,” etc.

How to Adopt A Service Member for Thanksgiving or the Holidays

Adopt A Soldier For The HolidaysThe easiest way to adopt a soldier and service member is to reach out the nearest military installation’s MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) office to inquire about their specific holiday programs.

  • MWR (Morale Welfare and Recreation) Office Locator – Located on bottom right of page
  • Military Installation Locator

Another option is to check with the nearest Armed Services YMCA or USO office.

Lastly, Googling the terms ‘adopt a service member, Soldier, Marine, etc + city’ will often yield your local holiday program as well.

If you’re unable to Adopt-A-Soldier this holiday season, there are many other ways to help the military community this holiday season.

Tips on Hosting Soldiers for the Holidays

Here are a few tips from the U.S. Army and us.

Do:

  • Take them on a tour of the house, show them where they can locate the bathroom or relax.
  • Give them time to warm up. Remember that they came to your home to relax and enjoy themselves.
  • Turn on the TV and let them watch football, basketball or other sporting event or another program of choice.
  • Thank them for their service.
  • Allow them to get comfortable. Service members may or may not be in uniform. Suggest that they bring a change of clothes and/or shoes to change into during their visit.
  • Offer to let them call home and allow them privacy to make their call(s).
  • Adhere to military guidelines and standards.
  • Encourage them to share their Thanksgiving traditions and customs.
  • Get their contact information so you can keep in touch and follow up.
  • Take pictures and offer to share them. Seek permission to post via social media.
  • Allow the service member an opportunity to take a nap. Typically the service members are picked up early with a long day ahead.
  • Have food, e.g. snacks, available upon their arrival, especially if dinner is several hours away or more from being served.
  • Share past photos of Thanksgiving dinners and past military guests.
  • Offer leftovers to take home.

Don’t

  • Offer alcohol or tobacco products.
  • Be offended if they don’t share everything about their job. It may be due to OPSEC (protects U.S. operations — planned, in progress, and those completed.)
  • Overwhelm them at once with too many questions. After a simple introduction, let them relax.
  • Make the conversation about you and all of your military experience.
  • Worry about cooking all of their favorite foods. They will appreciate the home cooked meal and eat what they choose.
  • Say anything that could be perceived as derogatory about political topics/issues.
Related Articles
Thanksgiving Adopt a Soldier for the Holidays
Christmas Christmas Programs for Military Families in Need
Holiday Shopping Tips on a Military Budget How to Help Veterans During the Holidays
Holiday Shipping/Mailing Dates Black Friday Shopping Tips

Filed Under: Resources

Comments

Popular Articles

New VA Loan Limit Rules

VA Disability Rates

2021 Military Pay

Military Pay Calculator

2021 BAH Rates

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • twitter
  • youtube
Military Benefits Logo

Company

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Add a Discount
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclosure
  • Unsubscribe
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Military Discounts
  • Benefits
  • Housing & Ownership
  • Money & Finance
  • Employment
  • Education
  • Resources

Join Our Military Benefits Newsletter!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • twitter
  • youtube
MilitaryBenefits.info Copyright © 2021

Disclaimer: This is a private website that is NOT affiliated with the U.S. government, U.S. Armed Forces or Department of Veteran Affairs. U.S. government agencies have not reviewed this information. This site contains information about GI Bill benefits, VA loans, news and services for military veterans and is not connected with any government agency. GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). If you would like to find more information about benefits offered by Veteran Affairs, visit the official site for veterans benefits at Veterans Affairs. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

Advertiser Disclosure: Our website contains some affiliate marketing links, which means we may get paid commission on sales of those products or services.