Holiday Meals for Military Gives Family Time to Spend Together
Lani Folsom has only known military life. From growing up with a father who spent his career in the Coast Guard, to becoming a military spouse after her husband Petty Officer 2nd Class Codi Folsom also joined the Coast Guard.
Currently a boatswain’s mate, Codi has been active duty for almost eight years. In that time, the Folsom family, which includes sons Sam, 7, and Jack, 4, have been stationed in three different states, with their most recent post in Florida.
Spending time together as a family, especially for a night out to dinner, is luxury, both because of Codi’s schedule and their tight budget.
“It is tough,” Lani said. “We definitely live paycheck to paycheck and that’s the case for probably 90 percent of enlisted families. So, really, any little bit helps.”
This is why she is grateful for Operation Homefront’s Holiday Meals for Military program. She has signed up for several Operation Homefront events since hearing about the nonprofit from a friend about two years ago. She has enjoyed the Homefront Celebrations and her boys love the Back-to-School Brigade but it is the holiday meals that allow her whole family to enjoy time together.
For Father’s Day, the family was given a Cracker Barrel gift card as part of the King’s Bay, Georgia Holiday Meals for Military event, which they used for dinner and breakfast.
“Cracker barrel is awesome,” Lani said. “We are super thankful and blessed and it’s really nice to be able to do something with our family all together and have people support the military the way they have. I know they have sponsored other events, and they have great food!”
