Spreading holiday cheer is as easy as 1-2-3!
Follow the steps below to get started.
Stocking opportunities will be available beginning on October 1, 2024.
Follow the instructions below to get started or scroll to the bottom of this page for more FAQ’s.
Stocking FAQ’s
A. NO. Please DO NOT send your stockings to Soldiers’ Angels headquarters in San Antonio unless explicitly instructed to do so for the specific opportunity you select!
Our new system for handling Holiday Stockings for Heroes is designed to save the organization hundreds of thousands in shipping costs. By shipping directly to the requesting location, you help us avoid the additional time and expense of receiving, repacking, and forwarding the stockings from San Antonio.
A. Yes, you can! One of the most exciting features of our new system is that it allows you to support opportunities close to your location. This means you might even have the chance to personally deliver your stocking donations to a VA or military base!
Please note that not all opportunities offer an option for in-person delivery. When selecting an opportunity, check the notes to see if the location accepts in-person deliveries.
A. Please refer to the list under the tab “What to Include” on this page.
A: Yes, there are several items that should not go in your stockings. Please refer to the “What NOT to Include” tab on this page.
A. We prefer that all stockings be gender-neutral and include items that anyone can enjoy. When VA Hospitals and Military units request stockings, they don’t specify gender quantities. By keeping each stocking gender-neutral, we ensure that we provide the most inclusive and comprehensive support possible.
A. While there is no limit on the number of stockings you can pledge, we kindly ask that you commit to a realistic number you can confidently fulfill. Filling and shipping a stocking to a designated location requires both a financial and time commitment. Please consider your budget and availability carefully to avoid overcommitting.
A: We understand that unexpected events can arise, making it difficult to complete the number of stockings you pledged. If this happens, even if you’re just one stocking short, please let us know as soon as possible. With prompt communication, our team can re-open the opportunity for others to step in and fulfill the remaining stockings. Email [email protected] or call our office at (210)629-0020.
A. You do not need to support all of the stockings under one opportunity. You’re welcome to distribute your support across multiple opportunities. This allows you to extend your holiday cheer to both Service Members and Veterans. For instance, if an opportunity calls for 300 stockings but you plan to donate only 10, you can choose to contribute all 10 to that specific opportunity, or you could split them—such as committing 5 to that opportunity and the remaining 5 to a VA Hospital stocking opportunity.
Just keep in mind that selecting more opportunities means shipping to multiple locations, which could increase your overall costs.
A. For the safety and security of our Service Members and Veterans, all volunteers must go through a verification in order to pick up opportunities. During the volunteer registration process this can be done in one of two ways:
- You can donate any amount to Soldiers’ Angels, starting from $1. Once processed, your donation will verify your identity and grant immediate access to the portal for selecting and participating in opportunities.
- If you prefer not to make a donation, you can get verified through Verified First, at no cost to you. They will email you a form requiring your date of birth and Social Security Number, which is used solely for verification purposes. Soldiers’ Angels never sees this information. Once verified, you’ll gain access to the volunteer portal immediately, but may need to wait 24-72 hours to see opportunities and participate. This process grants access to most virtual and many in-person opportunities, though some in-person roles may require additional checks, which will be noted in the volunteer information.
A. Most importantly, if you don’t report the support you provide, we won’t know if the request is being fulfilled until it’s too late. For instance, if all 300 stocking opportunities for an active duty installation are marked as assigned, that opportunity will be closed to others. However, if the volunteers who committed to those 300 stockings don’t report their support after shipping, we won’t know the actual number of stockings heading to that installation. Timely reporting ensures we can accurately track and meet the needs of our heroes.
Additionally, accurate reporting benefits Soldiers’ Angels as a whole. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on the generous donations, both monetary and in-kind, from our amazing supporters. If you don’t report the items you donated in our system, we can’t acknowledge your contribution or provide you with a tax receipt, now or during tax season. Your timely reporting ensures we can recognize your generosity and offer the necessary documentation for your records.
A. We truly appreciate your business’s support. However, we kindly ask that you refrain from including any branded stockings, marketing materials, or swag items inside the stockings. The objective of the Holiday Stockings for Heroes campaign is to ensure our Service Members and Veterans feel remembered and appreciated during the holiday season, not to promote products or services.
Soldiers’ Angels offers other opportunities, including sponsorships, that allow businesses of all sizes to provide support while also marketing their brand. If you are interested in these opportunities, we highly recommend reaching out to discuss how we can best collaborate. Please email us at [email protected] for more information.
A. Yes, as long as you report the support you provided in your Angel dashboard, you will get a tax receipt to the address that is in your Angel profile.
