Operation Christmas Cheer
Locally, there are hundreds of soldiers who receive outpatient treatment from the Cincinnati and Dayton VA Hospitals for combat-related injuries. Their injuries are both physical and psychological, such as Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), inflicted during combat operations, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan. When our chapter celebrated its 50th birthday in 2009, it commemorated the occasion by sending 80 of the most severely diagnosed soldiers a gift card to buy groceries for their family during the Christmas holiday season. This Christmas cheer to soldiers and their families was sent unsolicited, unlike contributions sent throughout the year that were based on specific requests. In 2010, the Chapter decided to not only continue the program, but also extend it to additional deserving veterans because of the overwhelming appreciation from the recipients. In 2016, our friends at Chick-fil-A helped us make our largest donation ever of $20,000 in gift cards to the Cincinnati and Dayton VA. Chick-fil-A is partnering with us again in 2017 and we sincerely appreciate their support.
The Chapter feels that it is important for these soldiers and their families to understand that a grateful nation is saying “Thank You” to them for their sacrifices. And this surprise goes a long way to do that.
Contributions to Operation Christmas Cheer (OCC), as well as other contributions to the Soldier and Family Support Fund should be sent to Paul Fellinger, AUSA Chapter Treasurer, 5493 Delhi Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45238. Checks should be made out to AUSA, Woodfill Chapter, with “OCC” identified in the Memo section of the check. The Chapter is an organization that falls under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and all contributions are tax deductible. You may also donate online on any of our pages using the donate now button.