FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- Kicking off its fifth year under Operation Homefront, Holiday House opened its doors Monday, and began spreading holiday cheer. For roughly 1,700 children, and more than 750 Fort Campbell Families this holiday season, the program will provide more than 10,000 gifts to be opened Christmas morning.
Kristy Keever, the spouse of a Soldier serving in Company Alpha, 526th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, said her children are going to be very happy Christmas morning.
"I have six kids," said Keever. "The youngest is 2 months. I also have a 3, 5, 6, 10 and 14-year old. The oldest and the 3 year-old are boys and the rest are girls."
Keever said from the moment she walked in the door, it felt like Christmas.
"Somebody made sure that you were on the list and another person helped you pick out your gifts," she said. "They let you take your time and look so you can find that perfect gift for each child. Everybody was really friendly and helpful. It was nice."
Holiday House is able to help military Families through donations and volunteers.
"I think [Holiday House] is amazing because the holidays can be especially tough. To have that extra help and to know that people still care and are helping out military Families and their children is amazing," she said. "It helps Families that are in need … whether they have multiple kids or they are having a financial hardship or whatever the case may be. That one toy per child as a stocking stuffer is a big deal, it gives those children something for Christmas because some kids probably wouldn't have Christmas if it wasn't for the Holiday House."
And, according to Keever, the selection of toys was amazing. "They had a lot of different things to choose from for each age group, for boys and girls. They had a lot of baby dolls to choose from for the little ones and action figures for boys so it was a great selection for each age."
Specialist Thomas Rucker, Foxtrot Company, 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Abn. Div., knew exactly what he was looking for when he entered Holiday House, and began perusing the shelves for just the right toys.
"I have four children -- girls, ages 7, 10, 14 and 16," said Rucker. "That is a lot of money spent at Christmas, so [Holiday House] helps out a lot."
Rucker said he thought it was great that Holiday House helps Families that need the extra help around the holidays, and they do it with an exceptional staff.
"[Holiday House volunteers] are nice and have been very helpful," he said. "They help you out in ways that you don't think they could."
Not only did Rucker visit Holiday House, but he also made sure to spread the news about what the program does so that others could benefit as well.
"I tell all my Soldiers that [they] have to sign up for it if they have kids, and they come in and do it too," he said.
Val Amadon, Operation Homefront director of programs for Tennessee and Kentucky said the program is going great so far. "Everything is going more smoothly than I expected."
Holiday House will operate through Friday, but if necessary the program will stay open as long as it takes to make sure that everyone selected as a beneficiary of the program is served, said Amadon.
This program provides help to military service members E-6 and below and their Families by providing toys for Christmas. Each child receives a toy, a book, five stocking stuffers, and each Family receives a game. To be eligible, initially a service member had to be nominated through command referral. However, more selections were made through online registration.
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