Support the Enlisted Project’s ‘Sharing the Joy’ Initiative Aims to Bring Cheerful Holiday Season to Local Military Families

The holidays can be a magical time, but for military and veteran families, the season often comes with added stress. To help ease the financial strain, Support the Enlisted Project’s (STEP) “Sharing the Joy” holiday program matches junior enlisted military and veteran families with donors to help make their holiday wishes come true.

One of the organization’s flagship annual events, the 2024 “Sharing the Joy” campaign aims to assist 300 junior enlisted military and veteran families this year. The registered families complete a holiday wish list that STEP shares with individuals and corporate donors who then have the opportunity to shop to fulfill the items on their adopted family’s list. Military families (E1-E6 enlisted) or recently transitioned veteran families (within 18 months of separation) can apply to participate in the “Sharing the Joy” program through Nov. 30, 2024.

When they sign up to help, donors can choose the size of the family they support and the amount they wish to spend. STEP welcomes donors from across the county – individuals, businesses, churches, and community organizations – and asks them to register online to adopt a military family by Nov. 22, 2024, to allow ample time for family matching and gift delivery.

Gifts for adopted families must be received at STEP’s distribution warehouse in the Scripps Ranch neighborhood of San Diego (9915 Businesspark Ave., Suite A, San Diego, CA 92131) by Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 5 p.m. Donors using the Amazon wish list will be able to send the items directly to STEP.

Wish list items include gifts that seem out of reach for parents and families, including board games, handheld blenders and mixers, and more.

“Beyond the usual stressors unique to military life—frequent moves, deployments, unreimbursed expenses, and low pay—holiday spending can strain tight budgets and worsen anxiety at a time that should be happy,” says STEP CEO and Co-Founder, Tony Teravainen. “Our ‘Sharing the Joy’ campaign helps young military and veteran families experience the wonder and excitement of the season more fully, and allows parents the opportunity to not worry about making their children’s holiday wishes come true. For those who volunteer to serve and protect our country, they deserve that and more.”

STEP is a nonprofit organization created by military veterans to provide financial support services for young military and veteran families, helping them build budget plans to reduce stress and achieve goals—during the holidays and year-round. A community-funded organization, STEP has positively impacted over 290,000 military lives since its inception in 2012.

STEP’s Emergency Financial Assistance program helps young military and veteran families establish or enhance their financial security, offering more than a band-aid solution to a personal financial crisis. The program includes a social worker—who is also a certified financial counselor with lived military experience—who works one-on-one with military and veteran clients to tackle their unique financial circumstances.

STEP helps families grow the confidence and skills to improve their financial wellness permanently, helping to combat food insecurity, homelessness, mental and physical health conditions, suicide, and other crises through counseling, education, and financial support.

For more information on STEP’s “Sharing the Joy” program, visit www.teamstepusa.org/sharingthejoy.