Nonprofit sends hundreds of troops home for holidays
November 21, 2021Cue the waterworks. It’s that time of year for videos of troops reuniting with families, and they always hit the heartstrings. One 501(c) nonprofit has sent hundreds of our service members home to their loved ones. Holidays For The Heroes is 100% volunteer based, and 100% of donations go directly to purchasing tickets.
This! This! This!
— Holidays for Heroes (@heroes_holidays) December 22, 2020
One of the 118 family reunions you all helped make happen!#navy #army #airforce #coastguard #Marines #homefortheholidays pic.twitter.com/N5XK1MSdq1
Founder, Ed Roshitsh, is an Air Force Veteran who made it his mission to give back. After many years of various charitable endeavors, he took aim at buying plane tickets for service members who couldn’t afford to go home.
Sometimes, tickets from distant or remote bases can be very expensive, even if only flying into major hubs. If the trip requires an additional leg, to an airport closer to a small town or home of record, they can be thousands of dollars.
A @USNavy #hero surprising her mom at work for Christmas! This is what our nearly 200 donors made happen in 2020! pic.twitter.com/FeY9OAzmHy
— Holidays for Heroes (@heroes_holidays) January 3, 2021
Ed posted on his social networks asking for other to join him in buying holiday tickets, and the response was overwhelming. He then formed the nonprofit Holidays For The Heroes, and was able to send 60 troops home the first year. The second year they sent 120 people home, and now in year three, they have already bought 80 tickets.
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