Celebrating Twelve Days of Christmas Miracles

Last Updated on October 22, 2021 by Maggie Sutton

All year long, Homes for Heroes provides extraordinary savings to heroes who serve our nation and its communities. But during the holidays, we take it a step further. Every year, for 12 days leading up to Christmas, Homes for Heroes and our local affiliate real estate and mortgage specialists present 12 deserving hero families with a special $500 Christmas gift for the Homes for Heroes Twelve Days of Christmas Miracles.

Many of the heroes or their families who are presented with one of the twelve gifts have gone through recent setbacks or challenges, and all are deserving of a little extra thank-you gift. In some instances, to extend the spirit of giving, our local real estate and mortgage specialists will partner with the community and other local businesses to extend the amount of cash or gifts presented to the chosen heroes. It’s all done to reiterate how important these heroes are to the country and these communities, and how grateful we are for their service.

The Celebration Begins

This year, our celebration began in Old Forge, Pennsylvania, with the family of Sgt. Jason McGoff, who served in the National Guard. In July of 2018, Sgt. McGoff lost his battle with mental illness. The community came together to support his fiancée, Jessica, who is a registered nurse, and her son, Michael. $500 from Homes for Heroes and additional gifts from local businesses were given to Jessica and Michael. Jessica said it was, “incredible to have this outreach of generosity. It really means a lot. Being a single parent, it’s a blessing.”

From there, our Christmas miracles made their way to Texas, where Jeff, a veteran of the Illinois Army National Guard, received the $500 gift to help pay for his son Dagan’s medical expenses as he battles a rare form of cancer. The Brogger family, also of Texas, were the next in line for a $500 gift. This family of heroes (David is a police officer and Ann is a high school guidance counselor) has experienced its own battles with cancer. But thanks to the support of their community, they were able to help their daughters, Eve and Lila, have a beautiful Christmas.

More Deserving Families

We were proud to help Marine veteran Chris Gonos and his wife, Ashley, displaced by Hurricane Florence, rebuild their lives and provide a great Christmas for their children. In Modesto, California, healthcare professional Mike Pearson and his family received a much-welcomed Christmas miracle as Mike continues his battle with cancer.

Back in Wilmington, North Carolina, Homes for Heroes real estate specialist, Michelle Roberts, presented firefighter, Joe Lopez and his family with $500 worth of gifts. “When I found out this family had been chosen, I got goosebumps and cried. This family deals with so much and does it with amazing love and grace,” Roberts said. “They really come together and support one another.”

In New England, ER nurse Amy Gravel and her husband Craig had been going through some tough times. But their holidays were made a little brighter thanks to a $500 gift from Homes for Heroes. In South Carolina, our hero Susan paid her gift forward, treating 16 foster children to a Christmas miracle they’ll never forget. A local restaurant agreed to close for the day so the all-boys foster home could bake cookies, receive gifts, play arcade games and enjoy a nice holiday meal.

Spreading Christmas Cheer

The Christmas miracles continued with the Schreiber family of heroes in New Carlisle, Indiana. Laura, a teacher, and her husband Ryan, who recently returned from his second deployment to Afghanistan, got a huge surprise when their community purchased a large number of presents for their family. In Wichita Falls, Texas, Nikki Quintanilla, a member of the U.S. Air Force, received a $500 surprise, which she said she’ll use to treat her entire family who are coming in for the holidays. The McKay family in Clay County, Florida, also received a Christmas gift as Jeremy McKay, a 12-year firefighter, continues his fight with stage 4 cancer.

Finally, our Twelve Days of Christmas Miracles ends with the Taylor family in North Ogden, Utah. Brent Taylor, former Mayor of North Ogden and major for the Utah National Guard was killed November 3rd while deployed in Afghanistan and training an Afghan Army Commando Battalion. The $500 gift will be presented in honor of Brent’s ultimate sacrifice to his wife, Jennie, and their seven children on December 23, the birthday of their 3-year-old child.

It is our great honor to be able to support heroes and their families.

Thank You to Our Specialists

Homes for Heroes could not provide these gifts to local heroes without the help of our affiliate real estate and mortgage specialists, who serve our heroes every day. Thank you for making these Christmas gifts possible, and making the Christmas holiday a little better for each of these incredible heroes.

Homes for Heroes Foundation

The Homes for Heroes Foundation helps give back to heroes year-round by providing grants to community organizations that also support heroes. Since it began in 2009, the Homes for Heroes Foundation has awarded over $500,000 in grants to heroes in need.

You can read all of this year’s Twelve Days of Christmas Miracles stories by clicking on the links below: