All one vet wants for Christmas is toilet paper.
Basics like toilet paper, cleaning supplies and diapers are among the items needy veterans ask for as they take part in an adopt-a-vet program with the V.A.
It's been a rough year for the Sotos. Gil Soto served in Afghanistan. When he returned home, the veteran lost his job and house after he was injured.
“I end up losing my house, so I’m in a tough position right now,” Gil said.
His wife, Jannelle, said that she had already told her 11-year-old that there would be no Christmas presents this year.
“We had no idea how we were going to get gifts for the kids for this Christmas. And thanks to [the V.A.], now we can celebrate Christmas with them,” Jannelle said.
The Sotos are one of 47 veteran families and 38 individual veterans who are being adopted by the staff at the V.A. The vets are chosen by the V.A.’s social workers. Many of them are homeless or low-income and, in some cases, they're hospital bound and don't have anyone to celebrate the holidays with.
The vets are asked to make a wish list and, often, the requests are surprisingly humble. V.A. employees, as well as a few big companies, adopt the vets by fulfilling their wish lists.
“A lot of are lucky, and we’re wanting an X-box or something big, and then there's somebody else in the same city, who's one of our veterans who's just wanting basic necessities,” said Elizabeth Cazares of the V.A.
The vets also get food so that they can have a Christmas meal and know that they weren't left behind by their community.