Thanksgiving and Christmas can be a difficult time for anyone to be away from the comforts and familiarity of home. But, for the young men and women of our armed forces, the holidays can be particularly challenging. Many are away from home for the first time in their lives with inadequate time and resource to travel home and back within prescribed leave dates and hours. And, while the military does an admirable job providing all the holiday bells and whistles, it's not the same as being home. For that reason, military bases participate in programs whereby soldiers are hosted for the day in civilian homes on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day.
Fortunately, every soldier who wants to spend the holiday off base with a host family, usually gets the opportunity. Suzanne Tabrum, Event Director for the Camp Pendleton Armed Services YMCA reports that every soldier from that base has been placed for the 2009 Thanksgiving holiday. But, there is still a need for Christmas placement, and especially the Secret Santa Program (see slideshow below), for which approximately 100 families are currently on a waitlist.
There are 27 active military installations in California. Finding a base near you and making a difference to those who serve is easy. A variety of programs exist and depend on civilian generosity to help soldiers and their families throughout the holiday season and all year long.
Ventura County families interested in hosting a Port Hueneme cadet for the holidays can contact:
Port Hueneme Naval Base: Michelle Harris, Civ, Command Communications/Public Affairs, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Port Hueneme CA 93043
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