Help ensure no Soldier spends the holidays alone – donate to Luke’s Wings and keep them flying this holiday season. Visit www.lukeswings.org/contribute to donate.
ClearanceJobs is partnering with Luke’s Wings this holiday season to ensure no service member or veteran spends the holidays alone. ClearanceJobs donated $5,000, enough to pay for 14 flights to reunite loved ones this holiday season, as well as sponsoring a series of ads on WTOP Radio.
Listen to the WTOP holiday spot here.
Luke’s Wings was founded in 2008 in support of service members wounded in battle. Recovery and rehabilitation periods can extend from months to years, leaving wounded warriors separated from family and critical support systems. Luke’s Wings looks to bring family members together by providing travel agency tickets and services for family members desiring to travel and be by a loved one’s side. Luke’s Wings works with families year round but sees a special need around the holidays.
Thank you ClearanceJobs customers – nearly 50 of you decided to make a donation to Luke’s Wings in lieu of receiving a $15 gift card for participating in our annual customer satisfaction survey. Your donations will pay for two free flights for wounded warriors, family members and other heroes in need! Thank you for helping us help Luke’s Wings ensure no Soldier spends the holidays alone!
“The holiday season is always our busiest time of year and we couldn’t be happier about it,” said Jennifer Magerer, executive director, family communications and logistics, Luke’s Wings. “With military suicide rates hitting record highs, we consider our program to be a mitigating service. We open the floodgates and hope to provide over 200 flights for wounded warriors to be reunited with their loved ones. We want to help combat loneliness and depression by providing as many flights as possible for our injured service members actively recovering at military medical centers around the country.”
Making Sure No Soldier Spends the Holidays Alone
While Luke’s Wings has supported holiday flights from day one, in 2009 they began a special holiday campaign. One of the service members initially served by the program in 2008 committed suicide during the 2009 holiday season. In his memory, Luke’s Wings now actively searches out wounded warriors to provide holiday flights for – so they’ll feel particularly loved and supported during the holidays, which can be a difficult time for those spending it alone, said Magerer.
There are over 30,000 wounded warriors in hospitals around the world. Luke’s Wings knows it’s impossible to provide flights for every one of those individuals, but their goal is to say ‘yes’ to everyone submitting a flight request, said Lindsay Gill, executive director, business development, Luke’s Wings.
Unlike other times of the year, when family members may take turns visiting a service member, on the holidays Luke’s Wings supports multiple tickets per family, ensuring a circle of support around ever service member in need during the holiday season.
“Wounded warriors have already made a significant sacrifice for their country,” said Evan Lesser, Founder and Managing Director of ClearanceJobs.com. “Making sure they’re reunited with loved ones during the holiday season is a small but very important way we’re able to show our support.”
Donate Your Frequent Flier Miles to a Service Member in Need
For the second year in a row Luke’s Wings is a Delta SkyWish partner. Visit https://www.delta.com/buygftxfer/displayDonateMiles.action to donate your SkyMiles – they will go directly to service members and their families.
The work isn’t over
Luke’s Wings is quick to point out that every dollar and every mile count. The organization is small – just four staff members and a shared office space – to ensure the most money possible can be to serve wounded warriors and their families. They note the need for continued support, as the need for continued service remains.
“It is important to remember that we are still actively engaged in conflicts in Afghanistan and with the unsettled future of ISIS and other threats, the need to continue supporting our wounded warriors is great,” said Gill. “Additionally, the road to recovery is still quite long for those who have been injured. While it is understandable to want to look ahead to “what’s next”, it is very important to continue assisting those who have served for us and it is our duty to make sure they return home happy, healthy and as a family.”
Visit www.lukeswings.org/contribute to donate.
