Help the holidays shine brighter

FORT LEE, Va. (Nov. 10, 2016) Thanks to Hurricane Matthew, electricity was out for six days at the Allenhurst, Georgia, home Angie Felton shares with her husband, a retired Army staff sergeant, and their daughter. "All of our food was ruined, and with the holidays around the corner, this was an expense that we just didn't need," said Felton.

That was when they received $100 in commissary gift cards from a friend who wanted to show her appreciation to this retired military family. "This wonderful gift helped to ease our minds a bit. We were so grateful to our friend for thinking of us in this way," said Felton.

Whether it's helping military families like the Feltons in their time of need or giving the gift of groceries to single service members in the barracks, commissary gift cards are a perfect and thoughtful way to show your holiday gratitude, said Air Force Command Chief Master Sgt. Stuart Allison, the Defense Commissary Agency's senior enlisted advisor to the agency director.

"In the military, we place great importance on 'taking care of our own,'" said Allison. "Commissary gift cards are a wonderful way for anyone to show appreciation and concern for a military member – whether it's the holidays or any other time of year."

And it couldn't be easier. Anyone may purchase a $25 or $50 commissary gift card for an authorized patron online at commissaries.com or at all commissaries worldwide.

Since the program began in 2011, nearly 700,000 gift cards valued at $24 million have been sold, said Bob Bunch, DeCA's gift card program manager. "With a redemption rate of 90 percent, it's a good bet that this gift of groceries to deserving military service members and families is one that will be used and appreciated."

Here are some commissary gift card quick facts:

• Gift cards are available at all commissaries worldwide – on a rack at full service, front-end registers – as well as the Gift Card page by selecting "Place your order."
• Cards are good for five years from the date of purchase.
• Commissary Gift Cards purchased online incur a shipping and handling fee. There are no fees when the card is purchased in a store.
• There is no limit to the number of gifts cards that a purchaser can buy. However, DeCA officials recommend organizations and activities consider purchasing their gift cards online if they plan to purchase more than 50 cards at a time.
• Commissary Gift Cards can be shipped anywhere in the United States. When shipping outside the United States, an APO, FPO or DPO address must be used.
• To check the gift card balance, visit the Gift Card page and select "Check your balance."
• For customer service questions, please call 877-988-4438, which is also found on the back of the gift card. Customers can also use this number to check the balance on their card.

"Commissary gift cards make it easy to show your holiday spirit to a local military family or one that is serving on the other side of the world," said Allison. "And food is always a welcomed and appreciated gift that will make their holidays a bit brighter."

To see photos of gift cards on DeCA's Flickr page, go to: https://www.flickr.com/photos/commissary/sets/72157674909030301.

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 and make no profit on the sale of merchandise. Authorized patrons purchase items at cost plus a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. By shopping regularly in the commissary, patrons save thousands of dollars annually. 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.

Media Contact:
Kevin L. Robinson
(804) 734-8000, Ext. 4-8773
kevin.robinson@deca.mil