Holiday Food Gift Card Program provides food for families in need

Photo By Sgt. Jessica Collins | The Holiday Food Gift Card Program provides families in the military community on Okinawa in financial need with funding so they can enjoy a holiday meal with their loved ones. The program is facilitated by Marine Corps Community Services Okinawa and major commands across Okinawa and is scheduled to accept donations until Dec. 1 at Marine and Family Programs aboard Camp Foster. Status of Forces Agreement members are invited to participate by donating $25 commissary gift cards. For further information, contact Marine and Family Programs: 645-2104.  

CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, JAPAN

11.18.2016

Story by Cpl. Janessa Dugan 

Marine Corps Installations Pacific

The holiday season is here and amidst the hustle and bustle of this hectic time are the families who struggle with the burden of extra holiday expenses.

The Holiday Food Gift Card Program provides families in the military community on Okinawa in financial need with funding so they can enjoy a holiday meal with their loved ones.

The donation program is facilitated by Marine Corps Community Services Okinawa and major commands across Okinawa and is scheduled to accept donations until Dec. 1 at Marine and Family Programs aboard Camp Foster.

“This is the season of giving,” said Joe Cassidy, a family programs and resources manager with Marine and Family Programs, MCCS Okinawa. “The program is donation driven and supports families and the military community as a whole by providing them with what they need to celebrate the season together.”

Donations are accepted in the form of Defense Commissary Agency gift cards in increments of $25 and support families based on the following eligibility criteria:

- Single income families of active duty Marines and Sailors E-4 and below and Department of Defense employees GS-05 and below, with at least one child, or other legal dependent who live on Okinawa when special financial need exists.

- Single income families of active duty Marines and Sailors E-5, with two or more children or other legal dependents cohabiting on Okinawa, when special financial need exists.

- Other conditions if individual commands determine there to be a financial need, such as a single income family whose Marine or sailor is deployed/assigned to combat operations during the holidays.

“This is a fantastic way to give back,” said Cassidy, a Minneapolis, Minnesota, native. “It’s about taking care of our own. That’s a concept we are familiar with in the military community year-round. In this case, it is families who may not be able to afford much for holiday dinners.”
For more information about this program, contact Marine and Family Programs or visit www.mccsokinawa.com/hfgcp.

• Date Taken: 11.18.2016
• Date Posted: 11.21.2016 19:21
• Story ID: 215496
• Location: CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, JP
• Hometown: MINNEAPOLIS, MN, US