Meijer joins forces to support deployed troops this holiday season

Service members overseas will receive a little holiday love in the form of thoughtfully packed care packages, courtesy of Meijer and our partners.

November is National Veterans and Military Families Month, and Meijer proudly partnered with the West Point Parents Club of Michigan, Rockford Construction, and Serv-U-Success to bring a touch of home to service members deployed over the holidays. Many of the volunteers who helped make this event possible were themselves veterans or members of military families. Together, they prepared 800 care packages filled with snacks, clothing, games, toiletries, and handwritten notes of gratitude.

This marks the fourth year of the event, which has expanded its reach from 300 soldiers in its inaugural year to 1,600 service members stationed in Eastern Europe and the Middle East this year.

Becky Vanderploeg, Director of Supply Chain Financial Planning and Analysis, spearheads Meijer's involvement in the event. Her daughter is a recent graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and is currently stationed stateside.

"Having a family member serving in the military brings a personal perspective to this event. It's an important season to express our appreciation and support of those who cannot be home with family this holiday season," said Becky.

"It's very meaningful for anyone who receives a box," said Tom McMahan, Director of Food Safety and Quality Compliance. Tom recently retired as a colonel from the U.S. Army Reserve with almost 34 years of service, including three overseas deployments. The most recent tour was to the Middle East and Central Asia in 2023 and 2024. "Thanks to Meijer, I was known as the guy who got all the packages, and I was able to share so much with my soldiers in five different countries. Any time service members receive a care package, the items they receive take them back home for a moment. That's really special."

"My favorite part of the event is team collaboration to prepare products for packing. Every year, I meet new people, and everyone is so kind and generous with their time to support this event. I'm also grateful for the generosity and support of our amazing company," added Becky.