'Boots for Troops' seeks to send soldiers home for the holidays

TOMBALL, TX (KTRK) -- A local veterans group wants every active service member to be able to go home for the holidays.

Jimmy Rogers founded "Boots for Troops." Rogers told Eyewitness News some men and women can't afford to be with family at Christmas time even if they have the time off.

"If you're married or if you have kids or you're trying to take whole family home, you can do the math in your head. It adds up. Some of these trips can cost thousands of dollars for the servicemen. That can be the deciding factor in whether they go home," stressed Roger.

"Anytime you can go home and see family when you're in the service means a lot but the holiday period is especially meaningful. They want to be at home with family. I know that from my own experience."

Boots for Troops teamed up with the Tomball Chick-fil-A in hopes of helping them out. Rogers said his organization already has a list of service members asking for assistance. They've launched the "Warrior Morale Project" and set a goal of $50,000.

On Veterans Day, the Chick-fil-A started giving breakfast cards to anyone who donated $5 to the project. They plan to continue doing so until December 1st.

"That resonated with us. Who does not want to be home for Christmas? Who doesn't want to be home for the holidays," said owner and operator Joseph Piotrowski. "It was news to me, news to our team when Boots for Troops said the military provides the journey to their home base but there's no way for them to make it to their street, their hometown."

The Chick-fil-A is located 14314 FM 2920 Road in Tomball. For more information about the "Warrior Morale Project," visit their website.