City Leads Support for Soldiers and Their Families This Holiday Season
The City of Madison in conjunction with the local National Guard and Army Reserve is asking for your support to make this holiday season a happy one for soldiers and their families. Last year alone, the Holiday Cheer Brigade made an impact by collecting over $19,000 in money and gifts for 12 military families in the Tennessee Valley. Gifts and other expressions of gratitude will be collected at Madison City Hall on 100 Hughes Road from now until December 9th. Our team will then wrap and deliver all of the gifts to the families on Friday, December 11th.
Appropriate gifts, gift cards, and cash are all appreciated. Contributions can be made to a particular family or families, or can be undesignated. Any check donations should be made payable to the City of Madison. The City aggregates the money for each family and issues a City check to them. We designate the families Alpha, Bravo, etc to preserve their anonymity. Let’s show these military families our community spirit and make sure they will always remember the 2009 holiday season as one filled with joy and hope for the New Year.
Below is a list of the designated families and a short description of their particular situations. For more information on any of the families or to volunteer to help wrap presents, please call the Mayor’s Office at (256) 772-5603.
Family Alpha. Dad is deployed to Iraq with local Army Reserve unit. Mom is a full time student trying to improve herself. Soldier has three daughters and one son. Daughter age 7, Daughter age 5, Daughter age 4, and Son age 2.
Family Bravo. A father with five children. He works two jobs to make ends meet and pay for health care. Family has a 16 year old girl, 7 year old boy with autism, 4 year old boy, 3 year old boy and 1 year old girl.
Family Charlie. Soldier’s wife had heart related surgery. One son age 8 has special needs. He is diagnosed ADHD and suspected manic depressive.
Family Delta. Both parents are in the Army Reserve. Father recently has found employment and is trying to pay off past bills. Mother recently had knee surgery and was out of work for three months. Over the past 2 months there have had problems with their vehicles causing even more debt. They need tires for their car. One son, 14 months old.
Family Echo. Single mother of two children. She recently lost her job and is having difficulty paying her bills and finding new employment. She has a son, 2 years old, and a daughter, 17 months.
Family Foxtrot. Soldier has been unemployed since May 14 when his company laid him off due to the economic down turn. Has 5 children daughter age 14, son age 7, daughter age 4, son age 3, son age 3 mo.
Family Golf. Single mom of four. She is struggling to make ends meet and may face eviction from her apartment. She is having problems providing food for her family. Son age 16, daughter age 14, daughter age 13, daughter age 19.
Family Hotel. Mother is in the Army Reserve. She has been unemployed since March and her husband only works part time. The income goes to pay for their rent and utilities. Son age 8, son age 6, daughter age 16 mo.
Family Indigo. Soldier is an unemployed father. The family is barely making ends meet since he lost his job. He has been in the Army Reserve for 20 years. Son age 7.
Family Juliet. Soldier has taken on duties of motherhood to her sister’s 4 children. She works two jobs to provide a roof, food and a loving environment for these children. Girl age 7, girl age 6, girl age 4, boy age 2.
Family Kilo. Single mother with twin daughters, age 11. She balances work and drill. Despite her own struggles, she is helping her sister take care of her daughter.
Family Lima. Single parent of an 8 week old baby boy. She has no maternity benefit from her job and currently has no income. She wants to return to school in the spring to finish her degree in Early Childhood Education for Special Needs Children.
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