JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A heartwarming initiative brought smiles to dozens of lone soldiers serving in northern Israel this week, as they received personalized birthday care packages prepared and sent by their families overseas, according to a Yisrael Hayom report.

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The initiative was organized by the Otzma LaChayal (Strength for the Soldier) project in partnership with the WOMMYZ (Women in LA) community in Los Angeles. The program aims to bridge the distance between lone soldiers serving in the Israel Defense Forces and their families abroad.

Ahead of each soldier’s birthday, family members prepared personalized gifts, handwritten messages, and small surprises, which were then shipped to Israel. Volunteers from Otzma LaChayal personally delivered the packages to military bases, surprising the soldiers on their special day.

In addition to the gifts from home, the volunteers included gift vouchers and other treats, providing what organizers described as a tangible reminder that the soldiers remain connected to their loved ones despite the distance.

For many lone soldiers, who often go months without seeing their families, the surprise carried deep emotional significance.

“It was a little hug from home,” one soldier said after receiving the package. “It reminded me that I’m not alone.”

Avraham Yechezkel, director of the Otzma LaChayal initiative, said the project is about much more than delivering presents.

“There are moments when you realize that a gift is far more than what’s inside the package,” Yechezkel said. “When a soldier is here alone while their family is thousands of miles away, we want to be the hand that connects them.”

He added that families in Los Angeles entrusted the organization with delivering their love directly to their children serving in Israel.

“The families in Los Angeles sent their love, and we had the privilege of bringing it directly to their sons and daughters,” he said. “Seeing the emotion in their eyes when they receive the surprise is something that’s difficult to put into words. As far as we’re concerned, no soldier should ever feel alone.”

The birthday initiative is part of a broader series of programs designed to support lone soldiers serving far from their families, reinforcing the message that even across continents, personal connections can help bridge the distance.