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Donors Sought For 'Gift Of Groceries' Program For Military Families
by Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service11/03/2003
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2003 – With the holiday season right around the corner, officials at the Defense Commissary Agency are encouraging the American public to show its support for U.S. service members through its highly successful "Gift of Groceries" program.
The program, which enables anyone to purchase and donate gift certificates good at all 280 military commissaries worldwide, reached the $1 million mark just six months after its launch in September 2002, according to Kaye Kennedy, the agency's corporate communications chief. Now that figure has climbed even higher, with $1.6 million in gift certificates purchased through the program.
Jean Villerreal, DeCA's gift certificate program manager, said the program "has really exceeded all our expectations as customers, industry and military charities embrace the service."
Kennedy attributes the program's success to the fact that it gives friends, family and the public an opportunity to show their support for military families. Donors can present the gift certificates to military families directly or send them to a local military relief organization. They can also elect to donate them to one of the three nonprofit organizations supporting the program: the Air Force Aid Society, the USO and the Fisher House Foundation.
"Our priority is to get these gift certificates to the families of service members wounded in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom," said Jim Weiskopf of the Fisher House Foundation. He said families staying in Fisher Houses at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, and the National Naval Medical Center in nearby Bethesda, Md., while their wounded family members undergo medical care are already benefiting from the program.
Military chaplains' funds purchased more than $500,000 in gift certificates for the 2002 holiday season.
Civilian organizations are jumping on board as well. One regional family- support effort near San Diego netted$50,000 in donated gift certificates last spring. In addition, employees of large defense contractor location in Dallas donated $25,000 in gift certificates for military families.
And now with the holidays approaching, officials are hopeful that the public's generosity will continue.
The Gift of Groceries program operates through a business agreement with CertifiChecks Inc., at no cost to the Defense Commissary Agency or the federal government, Kennedy said. Only authorized commissary shoppers can redeem the gift certificates.
To buy purchase commissary gift certificates, visit www.commissaries.com or call the toll- free 1-877-770-GIFT. The certificates are not sold in commissaries, Kennedy said.
A standard charge of $4.95, paid by the purchaser, covers the cost of handling, printing and mailing. Additional charges may apply for large orders or special delivery, but installation charities can apply for a waiver by checking with their local commissary.
