1:30pm | Six years ago, Joshua Evans of Long Beach lost his job when the internet company he had been working for went under. Evans found himself, along with his wife and child, calling his car “home.” After being forced to send their daughter to live with his in-laws, Evans joined the Army so he could provide for his family and put a roof over their heads.
Now, six years later, Evans has moved up in rank to sergeant, and is currently on his second deployment, serving with the 56th Signal Company at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait
Drawing on his own experience with homelessness, Evans decided to give back to those in need and thus, the idea for “Operation: Santa’s Soldiers” was born. Evans and his fellow deployed Soldiers, as well as civilian contractors in his unit voluntarily contribute money and buy jackets and boots for those facing homelessness during the winter months.
This was the first year of “Operation: Santa’s Soldiers,” and Evans and his unit were able to purchase 60 new winter coats and 60 pairs of boots for those who utilize the Simpson Housing Homeless Shelter in Minneapolis, MN. Evans says he had originally planned on sending the supplies back to his home town of Long Beach, but on the suggestion of his 1st Sergeant, they decided to send them somewhere with particularly harsh winters.
Evans says so far the project has “really shed a positive light on how even a deployed Soldier can have such a big impact on the lives of those we protect. This program has been a huge success for only being in it’s first year and I would like to see it spread throughout the Army as time progresses.”