Family Makes Core Memories at Holiday Meals for Military Event
As Army veteran David Gonzalez watched the joyful smiles on the faces of his wife and son, he felt nothing but gratitude toward Operation Homefront donors who made it possible.
On April 5, the family attended the Holiday Meals for Military® (HMFM) event in Delray, Florida. The event was hosted at the HERD Foundation, a nonprofit that supports equine therapy. Families enjoyed pony rides, crafts, and games. Each family received a $75 gift card plus a box of household goods.
David’s son, Xzavier, 5, experienced his first horseback ride. The event brought back family memories for David’s wife, Melanie, who grew up riding horses in Nicaragua.
David credited the volunteers with making the day special.
“I was happy to see my son have an experience a lot of people don’t get, so I definitely saw (the event) as one for the books.” – David Gonzales, Army veteran
“The volunteers were super sweet,” he said. “They went above and beyond. We took pictures with everybody including the volunteers. I was happy to see my son have an experience a lot of people don’t get, so I definitely saw (the event) as one for the books.”
The HMFM program was the first David had heard about Operation Homefront. He appreciates that the organization focuses on families as well as veterans.
David enlisted in the Army in 2012, right out of high school. He discovered his passion for military service by accident when he started a new high school and was placed in JROTC. By graduation, he was a first sergeant.
In the Army, David signed up for an airborne unit. While he was stationed in Germany, he was injured in a rollover accident when the driver of the truck he was in hit black ice. That, combined with his airborne injuries, led him to be discharged as a sergeant in 2019.
He and Melanie, who are both from Miami, returned home to Florida. Within two months they found out Melanie was pregnant with Xzavier. Her pregnancy complications escalated quickly, and she was put on bed rest. Melanie suffered from seizures and Crohn’s disease. She was diagnosed with preeclampsia and eclampsia, which caused a stroke, two days after Xzavier was born. After Xzavier was born, Melanie continued to be in and out of the hospital. The pandemic occurring during this time made the events even more stressful.
Post-COVID life was difficult for the family. Illnesses, the difficult pregnancy, David’s PTSD and injuries from service, plus a death in his family, all combined to make for a stressful and overwhelming time. Because of the medical costs and COVID, the family had trouble paying bills and eventually had to stay with family. In 2022, David’s sister died of a brain aneurysm, and he helped care for his nieces.
When David reconnected with an old service buddy, the friend explained to him that he should be getting disability. It took almost two years, but he received 100 percent disability. Since then, the family has been finding more stability.
This year is a “breath of fresh air,” David said. He has a job at the veterans center at Palm Beach State College, where he also attends classes to get his bachelor’s degree in information management. Melanie is now feeling better, too. She is also taking college courses in information technology, and after being seizure-free for two years, she is working towards getting her driver’s license again.
The HMFM event in Delray, Florida, was another bright spot for David. The Gonzalez family made good memories, and the gift card and household items offset costs.
“Thank you so much for the event,” David said. “We really appreciated it.”
Since 2010, Operation Homefront’s HMFM has provided more than 210,000 holiday meals to military and veteran families. Forty families registered for the Delray Beach event, which was one of 1,800 events planned throughout 2025.
