SIX YEARS STRONG: HOW GIVING TUESDAY MILITARY IS STILL TURNING KINDNESS INTO A MOVEMENT
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The holiday season is here, which means our calendars—and our wallets—are about to get a serious workout. Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday…your bank account can take a big hit after that long weekend alone.
But right after all that spending comes one day that doesn’t require a credit card swipe or searching for promo codes. It’s Giving Tuesday—and for military families, it’s now grown into something bigger, louder, and wonderfully contagious: Giving Tuesday Military, now in its sixth year of service-minded goodness—and being a part of it doesn’t have to cost you a single cent.
A Movement Started By Military Spouses Who Wanted to Do More
Giving Tuesday Military launched in 2019 when three military spouses—Jessica Manfre (Coast Guard), Samantha Gomolka (National Guard), and Maria Reed (Army) met in Washington D.C., thanks to the Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year program.
Like so many great military-spouse friendships, it started with instant connection and a “Hey, what if we…?” that turned into a nationwide movement.
“When we met, we just connected and knew we wanted to do something impactful together,” Manfre said.
“We were from different backgrounds and lived in different places, but we shared one purpose—to make a difference,” added Gomolka.
So the trio pitched the idea of rallying military families, Veterans, and supporters nationwide around one mission: intentional generosity. The Giving Tuesday organization loved it, and a partnership was born.
Not fundraisers. Not galas. Not a dollar goal.
Just…kindness. Service. Showing up for others—something military families happen to be very, very good at.
“The idea wasn’t about money,” Reed said. “People can contribute through acts of service, through kindness. This is about putting others above yourself.”
The Giving Tuesday team loved it. A partnership was formed. And the movement took off.
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From One Good Idea to a Worldwide Movement
Fast forward six years, and the message remains beautifully simple: show up with kindness. As Warren Buffett said, “Kindness is costless but also priceless.”
Giving Tuesday Military is now a force to be reckoned with. Ambassadors pop up across the country and overseas each fall—military spouses, Veterans, supporters, and kids—ready to spread kindness like it's PCS season and kindness is the only box the movers don’t break.
Some ambassadors organize community events. Some rally their bases. Some get creative at home with simple acts that still make a huge impact.
The through-line? Everyone shows up.
How You Can Join the Movement (Yep, You.)
Giving Tuesday Military isn’t about perfection—it’s about participation. Your act of kindness can be huge, tiny, silly, thoughtful, creative, or simple.
A few ideas to get started:
- Pay for the coffee behind you.
- Round up abandoned grocery carts in the parking lot.
- Write uplifting notes and leave them around base.
- Bake cookies for the fire station.
- Donate books, toys, or canned goods.
- Mow a neighbor’s lawn or walk their dog during deployment.
- Let someone go ahead of you at the commissary during payday weekend (heroic, honestly).
Whatever you choose, snap a photo or write a quick post and share it with #GTM2025. Not for bragging rights—though you earned those—but to inspire others to jump in, too.
Because kindness spreads fast. Especially in this community.
Six Years In, the Mission Hasn’t Changed
The founders will tell you the same thing they said back in year one:
There’s no wrong way to serve. There’s no wrong way to give back. And kindness counts—always.
Our service members wear the uniform. Our families carry the load. And for many of us, volunteering, giving, and serving our neighbors is our way of wearing a uniform too.
This Giving Tuesday, you can be part of something big—simply by doing something small. To learn more or jump in as an ambassador, visit GivingTuesdayMilitary.com.
And remember: one kind act can change someone’s whole day. Imagine what a whole community can do.
And that’s exactly the spirit military spouses across the country are working to spread.
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Managing Editor
BY TEAL YOST
Teal Yost is a Navy spouse, journalist, and managing editor of Military Brands, where she leads storytelling that connects and empowers the military community. With more than a decade of experience in military-focused media, her work blends journalistic excellence with a deep personal understanding ...
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