Adoptions / Adopt-A-Veteran
Honoring those who serve and those who served
Adopt‑A‑Veteran
Adopt a New Jersey veteran or current service member, together with their family, and make their complete wish list come true. It is a Christmas thank-you to the people who served all of us.
Today's featured veterans and service members
Real New Jersey households, listed by ID number only.
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Who this program serves
Adopt-A-Veteran is one of our three new programs, part of Operation Holiday at Home®. Veterans deserve a program of their own instead of competing in the general pool.
The head of household must be a veteran or a current service member and must show proof: a military ID or an honorable service discharge. Their family members are welcome on the same application. The same honesty rules apply as in all our programs, including random full verification.
One household may be listed in only one program: Adopt-A-Family, Adopt-A-Senior or Adopt-A-Veteran.
Those who servedThey answered the call. Now it's our turn.
Those serving now
For active duty families too
This program is not only for veterans. Soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Guardians serving today, and their families, are welcome. A current military ID is all the proof they need.
Service doesn't stop for the holidays. Some spend Christmas on a base far from New Jersey, and the family at home keeps the season going for the children. When you adopt them, you tell a military family that New Jersey has their back.
What you'll see in every profile
Each veteran is listed by an ID number. You'll see their story, their town, their household size, any health conditions they chose to share, and a wish list for every person with their clothing and shoe sizes.
Names, street addresses and photos are never posted. When you adopt, we send you the details you need to shop and deliver, privately, by email.
Army veteran and father of two, back home and working hard to give his children a Christmas to remember...
- City
- Your Town, NJ 07000
- County
- Ocean
- Household size
- 4
- Health conditions
- None reported
Your Part
What sponsoring means, start to finish.
The complete wish list
When you adopt, you pledge to buy every gift on the wish list. Checkout is $0. It is a pledge, not a charge. Groups and offices are welcome to divide one list among their members.
Gift cards are welcome. Cash and jewelry are not part of any wish list.
Getting the gifts home
You choose how the gifts arrive. Most sponsors ship them by US Postal Service, FedEx or UPS. Others deliver in person, at the veteran's home, or arrange a visit from Santa.
For everyone's privacy, gifts are never picked up at a sponsor's office. We follow every adoption until delivery is confirmed.
Ready to adopt?
Read their stories in the Adopt-A-Veteran store and choose who you'd like to adopt.
Sponsors choose who they adopt. Operation Holiday® does not.
For applicants: seeing your ID marked as adopted is not the final word. In rare cases a sponsor cannot follow through because of health or money. An adoption is final only when you receive an email from Operation Holiday®, sent after we have confirmed with your sponsor.