Mimi Teller/American Red Cross
A care package may not seem like much. A bag of trail mix, a packet of hot chocolate, a tube of lip balm or a handwritten holiday card can easily fit inside a small box. But for a service member spending the holidays thousands of miles from home, those simple gestures can carry something much bigger: a reminder that people back home are thinking of them.
That spirit of connection is at the heart of the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region's Operation Holiday Cheer.
Through this annual Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) program, communities come together to send care packages to deployed service members, helping ensure they feel remembered and appreciated during the holiday season. This year, the Los Angeles Region is inviting the public to contribute gifts and messages of support for service members deployed to Eastern Europe.
Requested items, identified by service members themselves, include beef jerky, trail mix, granola bars, hot chocolate packets, lip balm, wet wipes and other everyday comforts that can make a meaningful difference while serving far from home. Handwritten holiday cards and messages of encouragement are also included in the packages, offering a personal reminder of the community standing behind them.
For Red Cross SAF Specialist Aspyn Adams, who deployed to the Middle East in 2023-24 to support service members, the impact of Operation Holiday Cheer was clear.
“During the holiday season, many service members have already spent months away from their families, which can make that time of year especially challenging,” Adams said. “Receiving a holiday card, a stocking or a care package from home brought comfort and encouragement. Service members would read every message and truly appreciate knowing that people back home were thinking of them. Those simple gestures of kindness helped boost morale and made a meaningful difference during deployment.”
Community members can help bring that same comfort and encouragement to service members this holiday season by contributing items through the Operation Holiday Cheer gift wish list. The donated items will be combined into care packages and shipped to service members stationed in Eastern Europe, helping deliver practical support, holiday cheer and reminders of home during the season.
Supporters can purchase items directly from the wish list and have them shipped to the Red Cross Los Angeles Region headquarters in downtown Los Angeles for inclusion in this year's overseas holiday shipment.
Click here to view the gift wish list and contribute. To be included in this year's shipment, donations must arrive by Nov. 11, 2026.
Operation Holiday Cheer is just one example of how the Red Cross supports active-duty military members and their families year-round. Through the Hero Care Network, the Red Cross provides 24/7 emergency communications that help connect military families during serious family emergencies, including a death, birth or critical illness. SAF also helps connect eligible military families with emergency financial assistance, offers resiliency workshops and support programs, and provides services on military installations around the world.
For more information call the 24/7 Hero Care Center at 1-877-272-7337, download the free mobile Red Cross Hero Care App or text GETHEROCARE to 90999.
Whether delivering an emergency message during a family crisis or sending a care package across the globe during the holidays, SAF helps ensure military members and their families know they are not facing life's challenges alone. This holiday season, a donated item or simple act of support can help deliver a meaningful reminder of home to those serving far away.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.
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