Struggling military families ask Globe Santa for help

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“When one person serves, the whole family serves.”

Every year around Veterans Day, Globe Santa highlights letters from military veterans, men and women in active duty, and their families. Many say they’re turning to Globe Santa to request holiday gifts for their kids because they’re in desperate financial need. These gifts “would bring joy and relief to our family during this challenging time,” as the wife of a disabled veteran told Globe Santa this year.

As the Globe Santa editor, I feel utterly mystified when I read these letters each year. Perhaps I’m just a naïve civilian who assumes that those who serve our country are financially secure, but why are their needs so great? Why are 7.3 percent of veterans living in poverty, according to census data?

Why did a veteran who’s served four years in the United States Marine Corps, with three deployments, find it necessary to write Globe Santa to say he became homeless two years ago? And even though he’s now “absolutely 100% on my way back to the other side of the tracks,” he still needs help to make Christmas for his 9-year-old “a lot better than our last 2 were.”

Why does a father of three in the US Air Force describe being crushed financially? Owing to housing requirements, he has to live away from home during the week, and use “a large amount of my pay on living expenses away from home while still having to maintain living expenses for the rest of my family at home.”

Why did a mother of three whose husband serves in the US Navy write to say that she recently lost her job, and now, with only one income to rely on “it has become extremely hard to keep up with bills, food and daily expenses?” Because of this, she wrote, “we are unable to afford gifts for our children this Christmas.”

She explained in an interview that her husband provides medical care to reservists in active duty. The family lives in military housing. But when they were first stationed in Massachusetts in 2022, they were horrified by the cost of living here. “We are given a stipend for housing but every year the rent goes up, and that stipend does not cover it.” In 2022, their rent was $3,700 per month. It’s gone up twice, to $4,100.

She said many military spouses can’t get jobs because they can’t get child care — the waiting list for child care on the base is too long. “And with off-base child care, you are looking at $3,800 a month. For one child.”

And now, with the government shutdown, it’s even grimmer. “As of now, we are being told we will not be paid on the next pay cycle,” she said, adding that many families on the base are actively looking for assistance, including from food pantries.

To underscore her point about the financial difficulties faced by military families, she took the time, unsolicited, to write her own story for Globe Santa. She called it “Family Behind the Uniform” and said she wants to bring attention to a subject close to her heart – “the struggles that military families and retirees and veterans have to go through.”

This is an excerpt:

When people think of the military, they often picture the person in uniform – the one standing tall, saluting the flag, serving their country. What they don’t always see are the families quietly holding everything together behind the scenes.

There’s a misconception that military families are financially secure, that the government takes care of “its own.” But that’s not the reality for many. Some service members rely on food stamps to feed their families. Many military spouses work two or three jobs to make ends meet. The truth is, when one person serves, the whole family serves.

We’ve been living in Massachusetts for two years now, and it’s been a challenge keeping up with bills, groceries, and daily expenses. There are so many military families stationed across the state, and nearly everyone shares the same concern — the paycheck only covers so much. For many young families, the high cost of living here comes as a shock. Each year it gets harder just to provide the basics.

The recent government shutdown made things even tougher. The stress of not knowing what’s next is heavy — not just for us, but for families from every branch of service.

When I sat down and did the math, I realized my husband earns less than minimum wage for the hours he puts in. He could make more flipping burgers at a fast-food restaurant. But instead, he chose to serve his country — to protect and defend the United States, to help others, and to provide medical care for those who need it most.

My sailor is my hero. And just like him, every man and woman who serves — or has served — is someone’s hero.

Military life isn’t easy, but it teaches you resilience, gratitude, and strength. We’ve learned to celebrate the little things — a shared meal, a bedtime story, a quiet laugh after a long day — because those are the moments that keep us grounded.

Behind every uniform is a story. And behind every service member is a family doing their best to make it through with love, pride, and hope.

“Thank you for the kindness and generosity you extend to families like ours,” she wrote Globe Santa.

For 70 years Globe Santa, a program of the Boston Globe Foundation, has provided gifts to children in need at holiday time. Please consider giving by phone, mail, or online at globesanta.org.

Linda Matchan can be reached at [email protected]