The items listed below are some of the ideas suggested to support an event, a donation, or sponsorship, etc that could go a long way in easing the challenges associated with having a deployed family member.
Host / Fund / Sponsor a quarterly event (every 3 months) for the Hearts Apart family population to include those impacted by deployment. Some examples could be:
- All-inclusive Black Island Farms event to include entry & meal ticket.
- Fall Pumpkin Patch event
- Fall Hayride
- Smores pit and smores kits
- Courtyard activities (slide, corn pit, etc.)
- Winter Ice Skating event to include hot cocoa
- Arcade Event (Classic, Rush or Boondocks) any season, to include 2-3 hours unlimited activity, arcade pass, and meal/treat ticket (pizza and drink or ice cream)
- Trampoline Park (Get Air or Fly High) to include include pizza party
- Sea Quest one time pass (any season)
- Aquarium one time pass (any season)
- Movie tickets (in the winter)
- Lagoon passes in fall, spring, summer
- Cowabunga Bay passes in the summer
- Zoo passes in the fall
- Thanksgiving Point Museum & Science Experience passes from September thru May (multiple museums - Butterfly Biosphere, Farm Country, and Museum of Natural Curiosity)
- Jazz, Hockey tickets or other sporting events
- Provide a meal event with small craft or activity once a quarter from known & loved restaurants such as Chick fil a, Cane’s, Texas Roadhouse, Olive Garden
- Craft Day appropriate to the season or holiday
- Summer gift bucket with sand and pool toys, bubbles, chalk, etc
- Wooden or cardboard boxes deployed children can decorate (with paint, stickers, pictures, etc.) that they can put things from the deployment that the service member missed out on to share when they come home
- Funds or gift cards that can be used for a spouse to create and ship a care package to deployed family member
- Incentive items we can provide for our workshop attendance incentives. Ideally incentives would be during a 6–12-month workshop attendance to encourage members to attend and access the workshops offered which provide invaluable information, education, and resources
- A holiday blanket for a spouse or small toy item for kids
- A build-a-bear to be given when a parent misses an important event like a birthday
- Gift cards for books (allowing those close to kids to make the purchase so it can be personized)
- A catered pancake breakfast or brunch, could be combined with craft stations, etc
- Deployment care package decorating and building table
- Sensory building kit table
- Cell phone battery banks for travel for the deployed member
- Care kits for the deploying service member, snacks and toiletries
Quarterly Deployed Spouse events with childcare available and paid for to include those with respite care needs (special needs children). This could include:
- Spa day / evening,
- Craft event
- Nice brunch / meal out at restaurant more suited for adults
- Hike or rock climbing
- Paint night
- Mani/Pedi/Hair Cuts from Davis Tech
Items that would be nice / a treat to have for Spouse Appreciation Gifts:
- Fresh flowers, small potted plants, wildflower seed packets
- Gift card for specialty store (Sephora/Ulta, Home Depot/Lowes, etc)
- Gift card to acknowledge / celebrate Mothers or Fathers Day
- Gift basket with spa/bath products, nail care items, etc