Operation Christmas Spirit
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Our Christmas Elves are busy planning and getting ready for a "launch." OHH will begin taking applications for Christmas Assistance for ACTIVE DUTY families November 1st. 

For Operation Christmas Spirit 2017, we will accept applications from families (those not previously referred to us through units) for Christmas Assistance. Please see below for information about how to apply.

Our Operation Christmas Spirit program works to spread the Spirit of Christmas and share our appreciation for the sacrifices our military families make for our country. We do not view Operation Christmas Spirit as an act of charity but as an expression of gratitude and love at a time of year when the best of humanity can be seen and expression of joy is contagious -- Christmas.
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How Operation Christmas Spirit works:
  • Each year Operation Help a Hero (OHH) starts by adopting 200+ military families in coordination with units we select. This year the first 200 families we're spreading the Spirit of Christmas to are based out of Camp Pendleton, Fort Hood, Fort Sam Houston, Quantico, Lejeune and Joint Base Andrews. We only select deploying units located in the above areas as "hubs" of our Operation Help a Hero efforts. The families chosen through this initial phase of Operation Christmas Spirit must be: active duty, nominated/vetted by their units, and local to SoCal, Joint Base Andrews, Quantico, Camp Lejeune, Fort Sam Houston or Fort Hood to pick up their gifts in person.
  • Once all 200 families are guaranteed to be taken care of, we then start working away at our "wait list" of families in need of assistance all over the country.
​​ All families stationed outside of Southern California, Fort Hood or Joint Base Andrews applying for assistance independent of unit nominations must fill out our Operation Enduring Support application to be considered for our wait list. The application does require you to share an LES statement and give us the contact information for your chaplain, FRG leader, FRO or command to verify a need. Once this form is filled out and emailed to cfarnum@operationhelpahero.org, a completed application will earn a place on our wait list from November 1st-30th. We prioritize these applications based on need/circumstances.

To be eligible for unit nominated Operation Christmas Spirit "adoptions" you must:
  • Be an ACTIVE DUTY family
  • Have children (or expecting a child)
  • Be nominated by an OHH approved unit
  • Be able to pick up your gifts in person at the event coordinated on your base or willing to give permission for direct mailing of gifts.
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To be eligible for our Operation Christmas Spirit special assistance you must:
  • Fill Operation Enduring Support application during our application period of November 1st-November 3rd to be placed on our "wait list." Incomplete forms will not be considered, so please do include unit contact information, a narrative to help us understand your needs, and a working .mil email address for our confirmation process.
  • Be an ACTIVE DUTY family OR show proof of service related medical separation in the PAST YEAR with VA documentation. Please do not apply or fill our inboxes with requests if you do not qualify; we are an all volunteer organization and we want to use the time we volunteer productively. 
  • If you are taken off of our "wait list" as an Operation Enduring Support applicant for special assistance, we require a verified address before mailing out packages.
  • Be responsive to emails and/or wish list questions.
  • Because we have so many families who could use Christmas TLC, please do not apply if you are receiving help from another organization so those of us with Christmas programs for families can work collectively to serve many. Please disclose on your app if you have applied for assistance with another organization.
  • Have a legitimate need for assistance. When we reach our wait list, we do begin prioritizing needs. We do not consider overspending/ budgeting issues if base pay can reasonably support a family's needs. We have over a decade of experience in this and know that it's the unexpected "life" events, growing families, health issues and non-military related issues that tend to create situations when you may need assistance. We believe that parents who truly feel they will not be able to provide Christmas for their children without help ARE in need of our help. No parents should have to worry about providing Christmas for their children, especially those who serve our country.
  • A "slot" on our wait list does not mean a family has been "adopted." As we are able to help families on our "wait list," we send a notification that we are able to help and a request to fill out a more in-depth wish list. We only take on more families and notify them when we know we'll be able to guarantee help. We want to make sure to do the best job possible supporting each family we do take on before taking on more!
Make sure to send your completed applications and LES statements to Cindy Farnum at cfarnum@operationhelpahero.org no later than COB November 3rd.
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