Every year during the holiday season, Armed Services YMCA Hawai`i collects and distributes generous donations of food, commissary gift cards, and toys to military families in need through Operation Holiday Joy. Donations of food and gifts are collected by community partners, such as military units, businesses, civic clubs, church groups and schools, and dropped off to our offices in November and December where teams of volunteers prepare Operation Holiday Joy baskets full of delicious food and presents. The baskets are then picked up by a command representative and gifted to military families who are experiencing extreme hardship or financial difficulty.

Last year, through generous community support, approximately 3,000 military family members in need were gifted Operation Holiday Joy Baskets during Thanksgiving and Christmas. So far this year, Thanksgiving Operation Holiday Joy 2021 has helped close to 1,200 military family members.

Operation Holiday Joy is open to military families from all seven branches of service, including the National Guard and Reserves. 

 -- Scroll to the bottom of the page to see photos of this year's Thanksgiving Operation Holiday Joy --

Eligibility

All military commands, chaplains, other military family support agencies, and school counselors are welcome to help identify families in need of assistance.

The eligibility emphasis is to serve junior enlisted individuals and their families. However, any military family experiencing hardship or financial difficulty will be considered.

     •  E-5 and below – single parents or couples (with or without children) experiencing hardship or financial difficulties
     •  E-6 and above – couples with children experiencing hardship or financial difficulties

The Process

1)  Download the Operation Holiday Joy referral form (.xlsx file).

2)  Return completed referral form your local ASYMCA Hawai`i branch by December 10, 2021

     •  ASYMCA Hawai`i at Wheeler Army Airfield (WAAF) - wheeler@asymcahi.org
     •  ASYMCA Hawai`i at Marine Corps Base Hawai`i (MCBH) - kaneohe@asymcahi.org
     •  ASYMCA Hawai`i at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) - branchdirectorph@asymcahi.org

3)   We'll be in touch to confirm receipt or your referral form and with more information.

Volunteer Opportunities - We Need Your Help

Thank you for considering ways to help military families!

Military units, businesses, civic clubs, church groups and schools are invited to become a community partner by offering help during the holidays. There are three ways to help.

1)  Sign-up to volunteer during the weeks of December 13 - 17 to help assemble food baskets.

2)  Organize a monetary contribution drive to raise funds to purchase supplemental items that weren't covered by donations.

3)  Organize a food or gift drive! Units have turned their food drives into canned goods ruck marches in pervious years.

Items for Operation Holiday Joy Food Drive (November & December)

Suggested Items for Christmas Operation Holiday Joy  (December Only)

If you are interested in helping in one of these way or would like to suggest another way to help, please contact your local
ASYMCA Hawai`i branch director - contact information below.

Or if you'd like to help in another way, please consider a donation to Armed Services YMCA Hawaii. Learn more HERE or

Timeline

Questions?

Please contact your local ASYMCA Hawai`i branch directly.

     •  ASYMCA Hawai`i at Wheeler Army Airfield - call (808) 624-5645 or email wheeler@asymcahi.org
     •  ASYMCA Hawai`i at Marine Corps Base Hawai`i - call (808) 254-4719 or email kaneohe@asymcahi.org
     •  ASYMCA Hawai`i at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam - call (808) 473-3398 or email branchdirectorph@asymcahi.org

Thanksgiving 2021 Operation Holiday Joy Photos