“Bells Of Freedom” Adopts Over 120 Military Families Over the Holidays

My name is Louis McKay. This is my wife, Tanya. And we’re the founders of Bells Of Freedom. We’re a nonprofit organization. We’re a 501(c)(3), and what we do is we adopt military families over the holiday season, and we also supply emergency services to them throughout the year. We started this 13 years ago, and we started out with 6 families our first year, and today, 13 years later, we’re up to 120 families. What we do is we meet in Solana Beach. All of our sponsors meet there. We load the semis, and then we caravan up to Camp Pendleton. All of the sponsors and the families meet together for the very first time. It consisted of about six Harley-Davidsons leading it up. UPS donates two semis every year so that we can pack all the toys. We have 90 to 100 sponsors that adopt military families over the season, and what that does is it brings the community together. We get an opportunity to bring the community together to show respect and to show our appreciation to all of the families that sacrifice every day so that we can do what we do.

San Diego based Dance Hearts, a recognized 501 (c) 3 Public Charity and Bells of Freedom, a program specifically designed to care for U.S. military families, kicks off  two events aimed at making the Holidays for our local enlisted men, women and their families just a little happier with ‘Friends with Causes’ care packages to those deployed in Afghanistan.  This is the 13th year of the annual event “The Big Thank You 2014” whereby community individuals, groups and corporations are offered the opportunity to “adopt” a deserving enlisted military family needing a little extra support during the holiday season by providing food and gifts and deliver personally to those families in a meet and greet that takes place on Sunday, December 7th at Camp Pendleton, California.

Firstly, by “adopting’ a family as part of “The Big Thank You”, the Sponsor individual or group provides gifts including a $150.00 debit card or gift card to the enlisted parents.  Sponsors also provide each child five gifts from a provided ‘wish list’ (guideline limit $100.00 per child), a Holiday meal basket that includes anything from grocery script to fresh fruits, boxed or can goods, baked items other personal touches that make this basket a personal reflection of the Sponsor individual, family or group.  Then Sponsors are given the opportunity to caravan to Camp Pendleton and meet their ‘adopted’ family, enjoy a hot catered lunch and present their gifts.

For those Sponsors who wish to ‘adopt’ a family but not wish to shop, wrap, caravan and deliver to their families, Bells of Freedom will provide the Sponsor with their ‘adopted’ family’s name and battalion and our Bells of Freedom volunteers will do the rest.  Family adoptions start at $350.00 for a family of three.  Adoptions begin October 20, 2014.  See us at Bells of Freedom or call (858) 792-1003 for more information to connect with a Marine or Navy family.

The second way to brighten the Holidays is to donate to the ‘Friends With Causes’ Care Package Project.  Bells of Freedom is proud to partner with enlisted Marines based at Camp Pendleton by providing funds and supplies for assembling of ‘care’ packages to all US Military currently deployed in Afghanistan, no matter what branch of the US Military they serve under.  This is a cause that is as important now as it is year around and these young local Marines volunteer their time to provide a little care for those who are protecting Freedom in a very real way.  For those wishing to support this very special project, donations can be made by visiting Bells of Freedom and choosing to donate to ‘Friends With Causes’ or drop off personal hygiene items, snacks, chap sticks, warm socks, candy (no chocolate) and other goodies to North County DanceArts located at 12750 Carmel Country Road, Suite 103, San Diego (just off of Del Mar Heights Road and Carmel Country Road, across from Coffee Bean).

Either way you decide to donate will help let those know who sacrifice each day to protect our freedom just how much you care.  Dance Hearts/Bells of Freedom also welcomes cash donations as well as provide volunteer opportunities.  Dance Hearts and the Bells of Freedom program has no paid Principals, Directors, staff or volunteers and 100% of all cash donations earmarked for these special programs go directly to the enlisted and the families we serve.  For more information on how to Sponsor a family for the holiday, donate to ‘Friends with Causes’ or volunteer, please visit Bells of Freedom.