For the second year in a row, the Jack Daniel's Distillery has donated more than $100,000 to help service members and their families travel from bases to homes across the U.S. through "Operation Ride Home" this holiday season.
Through Operation Ride Home, identified junior enlisted (E-4 and below) single service members, military families and families of deployed who might not otherwise have the funds or opportunity to travel home, will be eligible to receive vouchers and financial assistance for travel by air or vehicle, depending on the distance of their family homes from their current base or installation.
As of December 6th, Jack Daniels and the Armed Services YMCA has expended $200K sending approximately one thousand service members and family members home this holiday season. But there is still a need, ASYMCA spokesperson Brittany Catton,
We still have about $25k to $50k to go to serve our wait list and meet the need of our young enlisted service members. Please adopt a troop and donate today to make Christmas brighter for those that are often separated from their families.
A sample waitlist family from the Texas area includes an Army Specialist with a wife and 4 children. They would love to be able to fly to Michigan, having not been home due to deployments and cost since 2008. His family has not seen his two younger children, nor have they met his new sister-in-law. He also sustained injuries and is awaiting medical evaluation.
Increasing the national effort, Jack Daniel's also announced its partnership with the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) of the USA -- a top-rated military charity (rated in the top 2% by Charity Navigator 2012) that makes military life easier for junior enlisted military families nationwide. The Armed Services YMCA will partner actively with military commands and committed volunteers to identify those service members and families in most need of financial assistance and to assist them with travel.
"There is nothing like being home for the holidays, and we hope that Operation Ride Home this year will generate an outpouring of support to help those junior enlisted soldiers and their families make it to see their loved ones," said Jennifer Powell, Senior Brand Manager for Jack Daniel's. "We saw the success of the campaign last year and particularly how it provided a mechanism for folks to give just a bit, that when added up with other contributions, made a tremendous difference in these families' lives. We want to do even more this year."
The Armed Services YMCA is proud to partner with the Jack Daniel's Distillery for their second annual Operation Ride Home campaign to reunite deserving military with their families for the holidays. Last year, in partnership with the Fort Campbell ASYMCA, 721 Soldiers and family members were given the opportunity to travel home and be with family for Christmas. Thanks to the generosity of Jack Daniel's and their friends, we will be able to make military life easier for even more military families this coming holiday season.
With your donation, we will be able to increase those able to travel home for the holidays. Thank you in advance for helping to make military life easier for military and their families!
About the Armed Services YMCA
The Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) provides no and low-cost programs to make military life easier for nearly 500,000 active-duty enlisted military and their families each year at 33 branches and affiliates nationwide. Innovative, direct services are tailored to the needs of local military installations nationwide with the help of 18,000 volunteers in addition to community and military support. The Armed Services YMCA was rated in the top 2% of charities nationwide by Charity Navigator in 2012. The ASYMCA does not receive government funding, and does not charge dues or membership fees for their programs. Your tax deductible donation (Tax ID #36-3274346) to the ASYMCA, a top-rated non-profit, will make a significant difference in the lives of young military service members and their families.