Soldiers Matched With Families For Thanksgiving

Turkey, stuffing, and all the fixings. Thanksgiving is not just centered around food, it is about ‘thanks’ and ‘giving’ to others. Thursday, hundreds of El Paso families did just that and opened their homes to those who serve our country.

Most either love or hate the holidays. But lets face it – if someone is alone and away from loved ones, Thanksgiving can be downright depressing. This holiday, a local family helped lift the spirits for one Fort Bliss soldier, a complete stranger, welcomed into their home with open arms.

“‘Hi, I’m Gene’ – ‘I’m Sheila, nice to meet you.”

Warm embraces exchanged between complete strangers sharing company on this traditional holiday.

“Oh i’m gonna eat good this year,” Sgt. Sheila Rovaris, a logistics NCO, said.

Surrounded by the Cox family, Rovaris, originally from Alabama, said she cannot remember the last time she and her two teenage boys enjoyed a traditional homecooked meal on Thanksgiving.

“I’m not able to go home a lot because it’s very, very far and so Mr. Cox called me up and said he would love for me to have dinner with his family,” Rovaris said. “And I was ecstatic.”

Rovaris has served in the military for the past 15-years and is one of several hundred selected for the annual Ft. Bliss ‘Adopt A Soldier’ program.

“The holidays can be sad sometimes and lonely when you can’t, you know, be with the people you love,” Rovaris said.

The Cox family said they can relate to the sad feeling distance creates.

“Here in El Paso we really don’t have any family,” Gene Cox said. “So they’ve now become our extended family.”

Gene’s daughter, Jennie, is in the navy and stationed in San Diego. Jennie said this was her family’s perfect opportunity to reach out to others like herself.

“If I wasn’t able to come out to see my family for Thanksgiving I would be in the same situation,” Jennie said.

Gene said this is his family’s way of saying thanks for all the sacrifices Rovaris and all soldiers make everyday.

“They give so much for us, and you know we kind of take that for granted,” Gene said. “And so this is our way of giving that back to them.”

Ft. Bliss has participated in the ‘Adopt A Soldier’ program for more than 3-decades, and Rovaris said this is one Thanksgiving she will always remember.

“It’s a great feeling to know that we have the support of the local community,” Rovaris said.

But it was not turkey or sweet potatoes she was most looking forward to, Rovaris said her favorite treat was a slice of red velvet cheesecake and of course, the good company.