Host a Hero sponsored a vacation for my family and it was incredible. From the start they worked with us and through busy schedules of my wife and I. We were able to see Yellowstone NP, Grand Teton NP, rafting on the Teton River all while staying in a beautiful mountain cabin 100% covered by the foundation. My family and I are so grateful for this opportunity, we have memories that will last a lifetime. I strongly recommend this foundation if you are considering donating.
Hello all,
I had the opportunity to contribute to this amazing foundation via Karen and Lina. They reached out to me earlier this year about the possibility of donating a week's stay at one of our vacation homes in the Florida Keys. It took only a few weeks to book a family that was approved to stay at our home during the time that we had it available this past Summer.
Our family is a huge proponent of helping Veterans and active-duty military personnel, however, we had never been presented with the opportunity to do so. When this opportunity came knocking we were ecstatic to help out, seeing as how this program helps not only the solider, but their family as well.
The most rewarding moment of this process was reading the family's experience of their stay at our home and the amazing time they had on vacation in Marathon, FL. As I told Karen already, our vacation homes are ALWAYS open to Host A Hero families. We look forward to making memories for active duty military personnel and their families.
- Ellen Torres (Miami, FL)
It has been an incredible privilege to work with Host A Hero, a charity that truly makes a difference in the lives of our heroes and their families. As someone deeply committed to giving back, I take pride in ensuring that every effort is made to provide them with the best possible experience. These brave individuals and their loved ones have sacrificed so much for our safety and freedom, and it’s both humbling and rewarding to be part of an organization that helps bring them joy, comfort, and support.
Witnessing the happiness and relief that Host A Hero brings to our special forces and their families has been one of the most inspiring experiences of my life. This charity not only creates lasting memories for these heroes but also fosters a deep sense of community and gratitude for those who have given so much. It’s an honor to contribute to such meaningful work and to see the positive impact we can make on their lives.
Host a Hero invited our family to the Florida Keys this summer and we had an amazing time! After 19 years of active duty, multiple deployments, surviving breast cancer, four children, adopting three more children from foster care and the stressors of daily life, it was a much needed retreat. Thank you!!
Host a Hero selected our family and we had the pleasure of being hosted in Victor, Idaho. From the beginning they took care of everything, including car seats for our children to flights, event tickets and recommendations for the area. Our family had never heard anything about Victor and to say the least, it was an unforgettable vacation that our family will cherish forever! The pictures do not do it justice. Idaho and the surrounding areas (Yellowstone, Teton Valley and Jackson Hole) were breathtaking. All areas were reachable for day trips with amazing hikes with young children. The people who run this foundation really care about the families and want to make our experience/vacation one we will never forget. They checked in on us to make sure everything was perfect and had someone meet us at the property to provide a local point of contact. Forever grateful to this foundation for allowing our family to reconnect! :)
My families experience with Host a Hero was nothing short of magical. When we were told we would be going to Idaho, all of us were a little shocked. We had never imagined a family getaway to Idaho so hearing this news made us both excited and anxious! My boys (8 and 11) had no idea what to expect and neither did we. Host a Hero knew exactly what to plan for us to fully immerse us in activities we have never had an opportunity to experience in the city. We went to a Bear habitat, we floated down a river and we went to Yellowstone (a dream/bucket list item of both my husband and I's). Spending this quality time as a family was such a blessing. We made memories together that none of will forget and we laughed...boy did we laugh. My husband was able to engage with his family and unplug from the stress of his career. I never know a small town in Idaho would offer us such peace and tranquillity to enjoy the thing we love most....each other. Ill never be able to fully express our gratitude to the Host a Hero organization or to the wonderful family that offered their beautiful home to us. I can only say that the week we had changed us. It made us unplug and slow down. It gave us time together and that is something we most desperately have missed out on over the years. From our family to yours...Thank you! Thank you for offering us something we never knew we wanted but so desperately needed. We are back in VaBeach but will always carry a little Idaho with us from now till forever.
Host A Hero provided an incredibly memorable experience for our family. They planned and paid for everything we needed for our vacation and even checked in on us throughout our trip. We were able to spend an uninterrupted week together which never happens between all the deployments and training cycles. We saw two of the best National Parks in the country, floated down a river, saw lots of wildlife up close, ate incredible food, rode horses and watched a rodeo in the best western town in the US. The home we stayed in was our dream mountain home. We have only positive things to say about Host A Hero and cannot thank them enough. We are forever grateful for the acknowledgment and gratitude they show our community through this nonprofit.
My family and I are endlessly grateful for this incredible opportunity that Host a Hero has given us. My husband, 3 kids and I were given the opportunity of a life time to travel to beautiful Idaho/Wyoming. From the beginning, I could tell the dedication Host a Hero has for service members and families, because they worked with us for almost 2 years to get this vacation going due to my husband's ever changing schedule. From booking our flight, our rental car, putting us up in the most beautiful, peaceful house, thoughtfully booking activities during out stay, everything was taken care of with our best interest at heart.
This vacation has given us a solid week of quality time, something we don’t get often. It allowed my husband to turn off work mode and dive deep into family time which was much needed. This vacation was exactly what we needed and are forever grateful for the life long memories Host a Hero has given our family. From the bottom of our hearts, Thank you!
Host A Hero gave our family an amazing opportunity to spend quality time together without a worry. Everything was booked and organized for us. They were wonderful to work with. We had a once in a life time vacation to The Grand Tetons. I highly recommend them! We are so greatful for this opportunity. We will forever be greatful!
Our family of six was gifted a trip to the Florida Keys. Not only did we have beautiful accommodations with canal access and a short drive to the beach, but we were able to spend quality time as a family. As a military family, we are required to spend more time apart than we desire. This trip was rejuvenating, relaxing, and down right enjoyable! Host-A-Hero arranged the accommodations, booked our flights, found entertaining attractions, and provided extra spending money for all the extra expenses that come with a trip. The staff is delightful and quick to respond even on the weekend. We are incredibly thankful for the blessing of receiving this trip. We came home with refreshed energy, and a great appreciation for military supporters like these.
Host a Hero made a large impact on our family. My husband has deployed 8 times and I have deployed once. In between these deployments are training trips that necessitate separation. The one gift that means most to our military family with high deployment tempos is quality time. This organization hits the nail on the head by gifting us an opportunity to create memories that will undoubtedly span generations. We were given the opportunity to explore Vero Beach, Florida and stay at one of the most beautiful and magical homes we have ever entered. We had private beach access and were able to watch the sun rise AND set over the ocean (the house is on a small island)!!! Our children had a blast at the private beach seeing boats drive by and large fish jump around. Our host home generously allowed us to use their ocean kayaks and sand toys. We were given a tour of the Indian River Lagoon and saw a wild dolphin pod up close! We played laser tag, raced each other in go karts and played mini golf at Andretti Thrill Park. We took local hikes, visited a Treasure museum of a local Spanish shipwreck, and a sea turtle conservation site. Our home had a roof top terrace and the light pollution was minimal. My eldest sons favorite memory was star gazing with his dad and using an app to identify a satellite that launched the year his dad was born. We are still talking about this trip and the special memories we made together. I know my children will share these special memories with their children and grandchildren some day. How can I adequately thank the Host a Hero team and our generous host home for blessing a family they have never met with memories we will always cherish? I cannot say thank you enough for the time, attention to detail and kindness of Host a Hero staff and founder. A huge thank you to our host home who blessed us with a beautiful home to rest and connect in. It was healing for us. Thank you so very much!
Just wanted to say thank you for an amazing week. We had a great trip and will never forget the quality time we were able to spend together. Our kids never stopped smiling (or swimming). We loved the boat ride and dolphin show, and the Keys were a beautiful place to visit and explore . Thanks again to you and everyone who made the vacation possible!
Sincerely,
Zach
Our family received a vacation to Tetonia, Idaho. We stayed in a beautiful cabin looking directly at the Tetons. We got to visit the Teton National park, jackson hole, Yellowstone and more. All expenses were paid, we could have never pulled off a vacation like this by ourselves. The team is in communication with you and they are amazing. They planned a few activities for us and gave us a list of endless possibilities of what to do. We still can’t believe we were the lucky recipients to this generosity. Any family would be so lucky to go.
There are not enough words to express how happy I am to be able to donate my home to Host A Hero. It is such a blessing to be a part of this organization and to help provide vacations for service men and women and their families. The work that Host A Hero does to provide our military much needed time with their families in an expense free and relaxing environment is so special. The staff at HAH take care of every detail, making the process so easy with no effort on my part. My job is to pick a date and hand over the keys. Then, they do their magic brightening the lives of so many of our brave military men and women and their families. I truly feel honored to be a donor and a part of such a worthy cause.
My family and I received an all expense paid vacation from host a hero in September on 2023. The communication between the company and my wife and I was crystal clear, taking out the stress of planning the trip. Host a hero generously went above and beyond to give my family a vacation we would not have been able to afford otherwise. We are also grateful to the person who donated their vacation rental to us.
Our family was gifted an all inclusive paid vacation to Vermont fall of 2022. It was a really great experience for the whole family. We were welcomed with a vacation home for a full week with activities planned and down days to explore and do what we wanted to do. Our 3 kids still talk about this trip as their favorite vacation. The owner of the home really took the time to personalize this experience for our kids with gifts and treats to welcome them upon our arrival. Our family’s needs and considerations were taken into account when planning the trip and we did not have to worry about anything!
My family and I were fortunate to be selected for and attend a week long trip to ID/WY this summer. The attention to detail and the thought that went into the planning and execution of this event was clear at every phase. Being able to simply show up with all the logistical concerns and daily activities covered made it a vacation for everyone. The trip provided a perfect opportunity to reconnect as a family and to be able to experience things and places that we would normally experienced, brought us closer together.
It is heartening to know that in a world that seems to care less and less about military members (more importantly their families) organizations like Host a Hero still recognize the sacrifice that Soldiers and their families have made. I am forever grateful and will insure that I pass forward the kindness that we received.
We cannot thank Host a Hero enough for the amazing trip. Our family is so grateful to the donors and the Host a Hero team for taking care of every detail. From the air fare and rental car, to the beautiful home, extra spending money for groceries and food, they thought of every thing to ensure that we were covered. The team was SO caring and checked in with us periodically to make sure that our trip was going smoothly and they were always available in case we had questions.
This was such an incredible treat after a long deployment and we quite literally could not have done it with out this opportunity. It was the first time in a long time that we could actually relax. With out having to worry about the financial burdens that vacations can bring, we were able to be present and enjoy the whole experience. Thank you will never be enough, we are so grateful.
Our family is beyond grateful for Host A Hero and all its generous donors! Because of Host A Hero, our family was able to take our first family vacation in two years after our fourth child was born and my husband’s third deployment. They paid for our airfare (for six of us!), lodging (stunning home and location), rental car (car seats included), groceries, dining, and fun activities! Like I said, so generous! The six of us had a wonderful time relaxing and having fun in Florida at an absolutely beautiful home on the beach. It was truly a one of a kind experience that we will always remember. I hope many other families like ours will be able to benefit from the generosity of hard-working and service-oriented Americans!
Host a Hero is made up of angels who gave us the best gift you can give someone, special memories with their family. We got to go an incredible (all expenses paid) vacation in the Florida Keys with our family. It is by far my favorite vacation and I often think about how wonderful it was. Our children loved it and we always talk about what a great trip it was. I can’t thank Host a Hero enough for such a generous and kind gift. It was truly so wonderful and humbling. We felt so loved and taken care of. If you get the honor of receiving a trip from them- say yes. You will not regret it!
Hostahero 06/10/2023
It makes us so happy that this is your fave trip:) We are so honored to do this for your family and other SOF families, and we are glad that you feel the love and appreciation that we have for you. Thank you for your kind words.
Our Family was fortunate enough to be selected for a Host a Hero vacation. From start to finish, the care and dedication of the Host a Hero teams’ planning, organizing and execution of our trip significantly blessed us.
All details of our trip were carefully planned and communicated to us so we never had to worry about any of the smallest details. Events were thoughtfully planned throughout for us to be able to connect and spend quality time together, which can be difficult to do with our busy schedules and frequent trips away from the family. The memories our family made on this trip will stay with our kids forever, as I know they will for me and my wife.
We are eternally grateful to host a hero and the gracious family that allowed us to stay at their home, and would absolutely recommend any spec ops families apply for this amazing opportunity.
Hostahero 06/10/2023
It is always such an affirmation of our mission when we read how effective our program is and how much you enjoyed your family time together. Thank you for trusting us.
I cannot express how wonderful the Host a Hero vacation was for us. Our family time has been so limited over the past...decade and this was such an amazing time for our family. Thank you so much for choosing us to be blessed with such an experience. We have made so many wonderful memories that we will cherish forever.
We cannot say enough good things about this organization! They went above and beyond every expectation. We are so blessed to have been given this opportunity. They took care of every single part of our week down to the smallest detail. We are so grateful for have been given this opportunity!
Host a Hero was there for my family following a long deployment overseas. They took care of everything from flights, rental car, and even several fun activities for the family. My family is very fortunate that great organizations like this exist. My family was able to spend a full week having fun and just spending time together. Such a great experience!
I cannot express how thankful we are for the incredible week long vacation Host A Hero set up for our family. After being gone for about half of the past year off and on for deployments, it was an amazing week long trip with great family memories created both during planned events and down time for relaxing, going to the pool, and go out to explore and grab dinner.
My four year old son loved playing with the stingrays at Aquarium Encounters and still is carrying around his stuffed animal telling me every day about his experience. Our two oldest daughters loved the Theater of the Sea day trip, where our oldest got kissed by a dolphin and the middle got to toss a ring around a sea lion's head. Our youngest daughter loved all the birds and getting in the water at the beach. The three oldest enjoyed the glass bottom boat tour as well and spotting different animals we hadn't yet encountered on our trip. We also made a day trip down to Key West to shop, walk around, and take some family photos.
The home we stayed in was beautiful, with it's own marina area with docks where we got to sit and watch the sunset and see a mama and baby manatee! The pool at Indigo Reef was great and the people were very friendly.
Had we tried to plan this trip on our own, it would've never looked like that or been so filled with incredible sites and experiences. The accommodations made it easy for us to even travel via airline for the first time as a family of 6. This was a once in a lifetime experience our family will always remember. We're grateful for the Host A Hero team, especially Karen and Anisa, as well as the family so generous to loan them our home for the week. If you have the ability to donate or volunteer to support this non-profit, we highly recommend it, and if you're a military family thinking about signing up for an experience like this, you definitely should!
Host A Hero provided not only a once in a lifetime luxury vacation, they gave our family connection and memories. With my husband gone so much it's hard to balance big vacations and allowing everyone space to re-connect. Host A Hero provided both! They planned short excursions while scheduling "down days" for us to lounge or make our own plans. The excursions were unique, memorable and so fun!
I cannot express in words the gratitude I have for Host a Hero. They are solely responsible for my family sharing what was our first family vacation where WE were the focus and not other family/friends. My 10 year old has experienced 5 deployments while my 5 year old has experienced 2. This doesn't even take into consideration the time away for training and other required travel. In fact, my wife and I never even shared a honeymoon due to a deployment that surfaced right after we married. Needless to say, my family connections, like many other SOF families, have suffered from all of this.
Welcome, Host a Hero! This opportunity gave us much needed time to reconnect and enjoy each other's company without feeling as if there was another agenda. And, we were able to do all of this under the beautiful backdrop of Islamorada, Florida. My wife and I were both born and raised in the Sunshine State and this was our first trip to the Keys. How exciting to experience this with our children from their eyes as well.
Alex, Karen, Anisa, and the rest of the staff at HAH are the epitome of true servantship! Their tireless effort and dedication can't be matched. HAH is the real deal. I know myself and others are often thanked for our service and the lot of us choose to serve because we love what we do. I'm guessing HAH feels the same. But from the Harrell family and the other families you've supported through the years, thank you so much for your service! It is truly an amazing thing you are doing for our community.
If you're reading this and can support Host a Hero in any way, please do so! They truly are making family dreams come true.
Host A Hero provided my family of four the exact stress free getaway we needed. The people at Host A Hero were so friendly and caring, and they were very easy to work with to ensure that we had an amazing experience. They thought of everything, from flights, vehicles, lodging and activities for us, we didn't have to worry about a thing. For a family that has been enduring deployments for almost two decades, this was what we needed. People like the ones with Host A Hero have once again proven that their are people who are truly caring, understanding and want to give back to SOF Soldiers and their families for the sacrifices we endure. I due not have enough words to show how thankful we are.
Nate F and family
Our family was absolutely blessed by Host A Hero with an all-expenses-paid, week-long family vacation. My husband had just returned home from the latest deployment (#13) and we were all ready for some family time. Our family of six was able to fly to the Florida Keys for a wonderful week of reconnecting. We were given gift cards to take care of trip expenses, dining, and groceries as well as car rental complete with a gas card. Our children enjoyed traveling with mom & dad in such a stress-free environment. We highly recommend Host A Hero to other special operations families. Thank you again for an amazing family vacation, our family is super grateful.
This non profit went above and beyond our expectations! We were a little hesitant at first when we were first told to fill out an application but that doubt was quickly erased when we started speaking and working with everyone in the organization. They made us feel safe and secure during the whole process while making sure the vacation was a perfect fit for our family. The process was seamless and the vacation was just amazing. This came at such a perfect time for our family as we were able to use this as a pre-deployment family vacation before he had to leave for deployment . We have and will continue to say Thank to Host A Hero for being such a blessing to our family and all the other families that have been touched by them.
Thanks to Host a Hero our family had the perfect vacation. It was a great experience and for a whole week, we were able to put our worries behind and focus on our family. My daughter to this date brings up memories from the trip and tell us It was her favorite vacation ever! Thanks Host a Hero for making it possible!
July 22, 2019
Host A Hero
Dear Host A Hero Organization,
The Santiago family would like to take this time to thank you for providing us with a beautiful vacation in the mountains. Additionally, we have to give a big thanks to the Host A Hero staff for taking out of your time to care for us with text messages checking up on us and for any updates needed regarding the this wonderful vacation. There are no words to express the gratitude that our family has for the Host A Hero team for making our vacation a memorable one. As I have expressed to the team I never thought this organization was real. When my husband explained that our family had been chosen for a free vacation I did not believe him. Our family’s reaction was to google search the Host A Hero organization and read the testimonials. Truth be told, nothing like this has ever happened to any of us. We have experienced things like this on television, but never in the 20 years that we have been affiliated with the military did we imagine anything like this could happen to us. And for that, I have to thank you for allowing us to experience a part of the U.S. that we have never seen before. The time that you took out to make sure we had new things to experience were so helpful that we were able to experience something new every day.
The military family life has not been easy and our faith in humanity is always tested, but Host A Hero has changed our belief. Military families are not often appreciated for our struggle, loss, or even our strengths, but a simple act of kindness goes a long way. Host A Hero organization has gone above and beyond our expectations. They have expanded our level of appreciation of others to a completely different level by making dreams come true for SOF military families. The Host A hero organization understands the importance of family time and how that helps not just the soldiers with their families, but also with providing some time to gain some piece of mind as a family. Providing an opportunity to pull a soldier out of work mode is difficult on the best of days, so you can imagine on vacations. With the Host A hero team taking care of all the planning and logistics, they removed the concern and allowed the family to focus on enjoying the trip and relaxation that in all honesty has been well needed. Again, I cannot explain how grateful we are for the time you have given us together.
Our adventures began in the Mountains of North Carolina where we experience new sights, food, and activities.
We have tried to put into words how grateful we are, but nothing will ever be enough. The memories alone are the greatest gift given to us. Host A hero has provided us with the greatest adventures that we have ever experienced as a family and that is something we will forever hold within our hearts.
Host A Hero Team, Thank You All.
Thank you for providing our family with a worriless and painless experience that we shared together. Thank you for the memories and support, but also for taking the time out of your days to check on us. I can keep going on with everything that we are thankful for, but I want to point out the importance that a honest and wholesome foundation like this exist in a world that can often show such negative aspects. As a military family we often hear and see the worst, but knowing that there is a foundation like Host A hero that takes the time to show military families another side of life helps inspire us to see there are people out there that care about our well being and through their donations make a huge impact on our family that will last for years to come. We can’t thank you enough, understand you have made believers of us and we will spread the wonderful news of what Host A Hero has to offer.
With Warmest Regards,
The Santiago Family
Anthony, Gloria, & Kailien
We feel blessed that we have been able to host these unselfish & well deserved families in our vacation home down in the keys. I can not think of a better way to give these active military families the rest, relaxation & quality time they desperately need together.
This was our first time donating our house to Host a Hero. Everything was coordinated seamlessly without a hitch. All we needed to do was make the keys available. After the week, everything was just as we had left it, nothing to do to clean up. We are so happy that we could provide a place for them to vacation and get a much needed break, stress free. Host a Hero is really making a difference. They make it smooth and easy for all involved. Thank you for this great way to contribute.
I am extremely fortunate to say that I was able to take my family of five on the vacation of a lifetime due to Host a Hero Inc.
After returning from a difficult deployment, I was made aware of the Host a Hero organization through my chain of command. Although I was unsure of what to expect, I applied and provided a bit of information regarding my experience and situation. I received a prompt reply stating that my family had been selected to receive a week long vacation. The enormity of this didn't set in, until I spoke with Karen, the Host a Hero co-founder, on the phone.
My wife and our three young boys were about to take a week long vacation to the Bahamas, with all considerations and expenses taken care of! The experience we had was something that I never could have conceived of doing without Host a Hero. The accommodations, activities, recommendations and personal details were all top-notch. Everything we did was tailored to our family. No desire went unfulfilled.
The opportunity to unwind, decompress and come together as a family after a stressful time apart was priceless. To be able to do that without concern of plans, finances, or remorse was simply a gift I'll never be able to understand.
This organization truly helps families stay together, create memories and recover a natural rhythm. I am honored, grateful and can not recommend Host A hero enough. The staff have made an immense impact on my life, and the life of my family, and for that I am forever grateful. Thank you so much.
An amazing opportunity and Charity for families of Special Forces to relax and have fun after or in between deployments! This is so important to help families reconnect and create memories that last a lifetime.
I highly recommend Host A Hero!
Host A Hero Inc. is by far one of the best nonprofits out there. The provided us an opportunity to connect as a family with zero distractions. Something we were not able to do for quite some time due to deployments and family schedules. They went above and beyond to ensure we had everything required to experience a stress free and family oriented vacation, unlike any we have had to date. Their staff is wonderful, as well as the sponsors participating in the program. Can't say enough good stuff about them.
I am happy and proud that my family and me are able to participate!
We hosted a family recently in our place in Key Largo, Florida and I could tell from their phone calls and emails what a good time they had and how grateful they were to us and Host a Hero, Inc. This charity does fantastic work, a little different from most charities where you just give them money. You can feel first hand the difference this makes to the veterans' life.
The first time I heard about this organization was via email telling me to sign my family up for an all expense paid vacation. I did the initial paperwork and my family was selected. My wife was very skeptical of the entire scenario “ who is willing to pay for a military family to have a vacation “ is what she said.
I decided to continue the process with the hope of it being a real thing and getting my family of 7 a much needed vacation after my return from a very hard and trying deployment.
This organization is legit and my family and I are very thankful for great Americans like them and their donors.
Here is a very heartfelt thank you to all who support and organize everything.
People like you all are the reason why people like me deploy year after year to defend our great country.
Thank you
Rob.