2018 marked the eighth year of Operation Ride Home, a campaign led by the Armed Services YMCA in partnership with Jack Daniel’s that provides financial assistance to active duty junior-enlisted military and their families to travel from their place of military service to back home for the holidays.
In 2018, Operation Ride Home helped send 822 individuals home for the holidays, reuniting hundreds of military families. Since 2010, a total of 7,232 individual junior-enlisted service members and their family members have traveled from their bases to homes around the country for the holidays. Men and women from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard have been assisted with travel to 47 of the 50 states.
In addition to providing financial assistance to service members in need, Jack Daniel's partners with sports organizations like the Charlotte Hornets and the San Antonio Spurs to reunite military families during game nights across the country. The Armed Services YMCA works with the various military commands in specific areas co-located with Armed Services YMCA branches to identify and prioritize junior-enlisted service members and families most in financial need. Plane tickets and pre-paid debit cards are given to assist those traveling.
View 2018 Operation Ride Home photos below:
About Armed Services YMCA:
The Armed Services YMCA is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit that serves active duty military members and their families. In 2017, we registered more than 250,000 participants and delivered more than 1.3 million points of services to junior enlisted Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen and family members at 200 service centers in 18 states. Whether providing respite child care for parents in need, summer camps for kids, or assisting with emergency needs, the Armed Services YMCA is a nonprofit with a mission: Strengthening Our Military Family. Visit our website to see how you can join us in supporting military families.
