Two years have passed since Amanda Schroeder’s grandmother died and for her grandfather, the adjustment of losing his wife of 56 years has been difficult. At Easter, when Amanda and her husband Matt, both Army veterans, picked up a meal from Cracker Barrel as part of Operation Homefront’s Holiday Meal for Military Families (HMFM) program, they were able to give her grandfather something to smile about.
“It was really nice to sit and bring that meal home for our family and explain to grandpa that this was a gift to us—him, me and Matt for our service—and just a really nice blessing,” Amanda said. “It was really nice for him to feel the connection and support and love you feel when someone gives you a meal. There’s just something really, really personal and loving about feeding someone and to feed us, it really touched our hearts.”
Amanda found out about the HMFM program through one of the veteran’s groups she follows. Now that she is a stay-at-home mom, and following a battle with cancer, she’s no longer working. Missing that income can make the budget tight for their family of four.
Amanda is grateful to know that Operation Homefront’s donors have military families in mind.
“It’s nice to feel support when we can feel so very alone,” Amanda said. “It filled the table, and that fills your heart. And it was delicious!”
