Help Support Military Families through Operation ELF

November 13, 2019

Connecticut recently launched its 18th annual Operation ELF (Embracing Lonely Families) to help military families enduring the hardship of separation due to deployment and to help lessen the financial stresses these families face resulting from their call to active duty.

Each year, the Operation ELF donation drive provides people with an opportunity to show their support for our men and women in uniform and their families, especially those who are deployed during the holidays.

Operation ELF accepts monetary donations and gift cards. Donations of fuel oil, snow removal, and home maintenance services are also needed. New, unwrapped toys for young people of all ages are welcome.

Within ELF is also the Adopt-A-Military-Family program. Its goal is to assist those families who are suffering extreme financial hardship as a result of their service member’s call to Active Duty, as well as help them meet their basic needs and have a fulfilling holiday season. Individuals or businesses may “adopt” a family from this category by funding or purchasing items of need identified by the family. The name of the family is never revealed to the adopting person or organization. Instead, a summary of the family’s demographics and wish list are provided. The applicant’s case worker ensures gifts are received in time for the holidays.

How to donate:
Donations may be dropped off at one of the following six drop-off locations between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.:

Army Aviation Support Facility
Bradley International Airport
85-300 Light Lane (Off of Route 75)
Windsor Locks, CT 06096

William A. O’Neill Armory
360 Broad Street
Hartford, CT 06105

Armed Forces Reserve Center
90 Wooster Heights Road
Danbury, CT 06702

Niantic Readiness Center
38 Smith Street
Niantic, CT 06357

New London Armory
249 Bayonet Street
New London, CT 06320

Bradley Air National Guard Base
100 Nicholson Road
East Granby, CT 06026

On Tuesday, December 10, 2019, the final day of the drop-off period, the William A. O’Neill Armory will host extended hours for drop-offs, staying open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Gift cards and financial contributions can be mailed at any time.

For gift cards:
Connecticut National Guard
Office of Family Programs
360 Broad Street
Hartford, CT 06105
Website: https://ctngfi.org.

For financial donations:
Please make all checks payable to the Connecticut National Guard Foundation, Incorporated, and annotate “Operation ELF” in the memo line.
Connecticut National Guard Foundation, Inc.
360 Broad Street
Hartford, CT 06105

Please be sure to include your name, address and phone number so that an appropriate acknowledgement of your contribution can be sent.

Established in 2001, Operation ELF is designed to support all branches of military families whose loved ones are deployed, preparing to deploy within the next six months, or recently returned from deployment. Over 500 Connecticut National Guardsmen are currently in the deployment cycle, with approximately 280 Guardsmen currently serving overseas and another 140 preparing to deploy in support of operations around the world. 40 members of the 192nd Engineer Battalion, headquartered in Stratford, Conn., returned from Kuwait and Afghanistan in July and six members of the 256th Engineer Detachment, headquartered in East Lyme, Conn., returned from deployment in Romania in early October.

For more information specific to Operation ELF, please call (800) 858-2677, or refer to the Operation ELF and the Connecticut National Guard Facebook pages at facebook.com/connecticutoperationelf and facebook.com/connecticutnationalguard.