Adopt-A-Family

How to brighten up the holidays for Austin military families

It may only be September, but the holidays will be here before you know it. Then it’s time for gifts, big meals, and family gatherings. But for some military and veteran families who survive on a very tight budget, these celebrations will be out of the question.

Enter national nonprofit Soldiers ’ Angels, based in San Antonio, which has developed a program to help ease the stress of the holiday season for qualified military and veteran families. Through its unique Adopt-A-Family program, sponsors can "adopt" a family for the holiday season. The sponsor — who can be an individual, family, or even company — provides gifts for the children as well as a prepaid card for the family to purchase their holiday dinner with all the trimmings.

The goal is to help America show its gratitude for the sacrifices these families have made in service to our country. Without the assistance of programs like Adopt-A-Family, many military and veteran families would go without any type of holiday celebration — and that's just not right.

The program is open to families of deployed service members and families of post-9/11 wounded, ill, and injured service members. Selection is need-based and is determined by Soldiers’ Angels representatives.

Want to sign up to be a sponsor? First you need to become a Team Angel, which is like being a virtual volunteer. Once you’re in the Team Angel database, you can not only Adopt-A-Family, but also contribute to any of Soldiers’ Angels’ 11 other volunteer teams that work year-round: Deployed Adoptions, Chaplain Support, Special Operations Forces, Angel Bakers, Ladies of Liberty, Letter Writing, Cards Plus, Operation Top Knot, Women of Valor, Sewing & Crafting, and Living Legends.

Soldiers’ Angels also encourages businesses to consider participating in the event. Working directly with the nonprofit’s staff, businesses are able to adopt multiple families — making this a great holiday charity event for employees. Interested businesses should reach out to Jennifer Cernoch directly: jcernoch@soldiersangels.org.

For full details — and some very helpful FAQs — about the program and how to get involved, visit the Adopt-A-Family website.

Adopt-A-Family helps service members and their loved ones celebrate the holidays.

Photo courtesy of Soldiers' Angels

Adopt-A-Family helps service members and their loved ones celebrate the holidays.

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That's the ticket

Austin-based live event subscription service is your ticket to festivals and shows all year

Photo by Tijs van Leur on Unsplash

FestivalPass makes it easy to gift experiences without having to guess a recipient's taste or schedule.

With all these streaming subscriptions, it’d be nice to get out into the real world now and then. But taking initiative can be challenging, especially when weighing a $20 door cover against a band that just isn’t that high on your list. FestivalPass, an Austin-based service launched earlier this year, simplifies that decision and is positioning itself during the holidays as the perfect gift for active lovers of music, comedy, and more.

FestivalPass calls itself the “world’s first live events subscription service,” and a Google search using the phrase proves how rare the concept is. The cutting-edge idea provides access to more than 80,000 events and 600,000 hotels across the globe via a points system. Points must be budgeted, but the platform provides the nudge to get out there for those who want to commit, plus deals and no added fees. (There’s no gift like freedom from Ticketmaster.)

Events stretch from the Capital City to New York City, Las Vegas, and abroad. They are divided into music, theater, comedy, film, sports, and “other,” covering everything from routine games to poetry readings. And these are not bargain bin events — one of the service’s biggest pulls is Austin City Limits Music Festival day and weekend passes.

Members might see music by Modest Mouse or Herb Alpert, storytelling by The Moth or Rupi Kaur, comedy by Kevin Hart, and classic annual events like the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Just one Friday in Austin this December shows nine separate events, including classical bluegrass virtuosos Bela Fleck and Punch Brothers at the Paramount Theatre, and Ballet Austin’s The Nutcracker at the Long Center for Performing Arts.

In addition to discounts, the monthly credits system makes for great discovery opportunities. It's analogous to platforms like ClassPass that encourage members to try new gyms and sports at no risk simply to clear credits, except that FestivalPass points don’t expire. The system makes recommendations — which are trustworthy, if the above lineup is any indication — and sometimes provides early access to partner events.

“This is a unique opportunity to gift your special someone (or yourself) a year of unforgettable live event experiences,” says founder Ed Vincent in a release. “Your loved one gets to choose what events they want to go to and will think of you while they are creating unforgettable memories.”

Annual passes come in three tiers, from the $210 Gold Pass to the $1,080 Founders Pass, and subscribers get up to 1,080 credits to redeem for tickets on the platform, according to a release. Memberships can be purchased online at festivalpass.com.

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