‘A DAY FULL OF GOODNESS’: DeCA supports veteran family featured in Military Makeover TV show with groceries donated by industry through Commissary CLICK2GO
NOTE: To see a DeCA video about the agency’s participation in Military Makeover, click here.
FORT LEE, Va. – The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) joined a host of retailers in supporting a wife and husband, both disabled veterans, featured in the “Military Makeover with Montel” TV series on Lifetime.
Military Makeover is led by Montel Williams, a TV talk show host and Marine Corps and Navy veteran. The series honors veterans by bringing together retailers, designers, contractors, landscapers and other home improvement companies to help transform their homes and lives.
The show’s milestone 30th makeover featured Justin and Kristie Ziegler and their family. Justin and Kristie are Air Force veterans, childhood sweethearts from South Florida, who both deployed to Afghanistan. The show was taped in March and can be viewed on the Military Makeover website or on YouTube.
DeCA Director and CEO Bill Moore and his senior enlisted advisor, Marine Sgt. Maj. Michael R. Saucedo, traveled to Jupiter, Florida, where they stocked the Ziegler’s pantry with $500 worth of groceries donated from EURPAC, a distribution group that delivers products to the military supply channel.
“The show has a noble track record of supporting deserving military veterans, and we saw this season as an opportunity to help two deserving veterans, Justin and Kristie Ziegler, and their family,” he added. “It’s an added bonus that we can also use this show as a platform to help spread the word to other disabled veterans that they are authorized to use the commissary, a benefit they’ve earned through their selfless service.”
During the show’s production, DeCA worked with the Zieglers to place an order for their groceries through Commissary CLICK2GO, the agency’s online ordering/curbside pickup service. They ordered products from the nearest commissary at Patrick Space Force Base near Cocoa Beach, Florida, and store associates there picked the products and processed their order for pickup. DeCA’s audio-visual team, on site to film the agency’s role with Makeover, picked up the groceries from Patrick and delivered them to the Ziegler home.
“This is just an example of the daily collaboration we have with our suppliers, manufacturers and vendors who work with us to provide quality groceries in commissaries worldwide at significant savings to our patrons,” Moore said.
DeCA views the Military Makeover show and other events as prime opportunities to help ensure many eligible patrons like the Zieglers are aware of the 20-25 percent savings available at their commissary along with the benefits of dietitian-approved meal solutions, and free online order and pickup services.
“The Zieglers are typical of most commissary patrons,” Saucedo said. “They served their country with honor. Both Justin and Kristie deployed to Afghanistan. They survived a traumatic ordeal over there and went on to build a loving home with their two children. We are proud to help connect them with their commissary benefit.”
“This is a day full of goodness,” Saucedo added. “Being able to educate our veterans about the newly authorized benefit is just fantastic. I’m looking forward to getting out in communities just like this, more frequently, and educating veterans about this benefit.”
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About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.