After three years of war, reservists are coming home to families who learned to live without them. Smiles for the Kids is dedicating 2027 to bringing them back together.

The Story

Since October 7, 2023, Israeli reservists have lived on army time. Many have served three, four, and five rounds of duty, with civilian life squeezed into the short breaks between call-ups. They have missed births, birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, and hundreds of ordinary evenings at home.

As the war winds down, these soldiers are returning for good. Coming home is the next mission, and for many families it is the hardest one yet.

What Families Are Facing

Children who grew up without their fathers. Babies born after October 7 now walk and talk, and some know their father mostly as a face on a video call. Older kids took over shopping, laundry, carpools, and caring for younger siblings.

Spouses who ran everything alone. Wives managed the budget, the repairs, the school emergencies, and the sick child at 3 a.m. They grew used to sleeping alone and to Shabbat tables set for one fewer. The household built a system, and the returning soldier has to find his place in it again.

Invisible wounds. Combat soldiers return with PTSD, sleepless nights, short tempers, and a startle at every loud noise. Their families absorb that weight every day.

Visible wounds. Injured soldiers come home to apartments with stairs they cannot climb, bathrooms that need rails, doorways that need ramps, and months of rehab appointments.

Livelihoods on hold. Businesses stalled. Jobs disappeared. Promotions went to someone who was in the office. Financial pressure follows soldiers home.

Why Smiles for the Kids Is Focusing Here

Smiles for the Kids was founded on October 8, 2023, and has spent three years supporting soldiers in the field and families at home. Founder Aron Schoenfeld has served as a reservist throughout the war, including a 155-day deployment in 2026. In his unit alone, 35 soldiers are coming home to these challenges right now.

The war created these needs. Recovery from them will take years. Smiles for the Kids is dedicating 2027 to the families who carried the country and now need help putting their homes back together.

What Your Donation Supports

Homecoming packages: Flowers, chocolates, and a small gift waiting for the family when a soldier walks through the door
Family reconnection: Outings, experiences, and time together to rebuild relationships between soldiers, spouses, and children
Home adaptations: Help for injured soldiers with ramps, rails, and accessibility needs
Emotional support: Connecting soldiers and families with resources for PTSD and the strain of return
Emergency family needs: Direct help for households under financial pressure after long service

Suggested Giving Levels

$36: A homecoming package of flowers and chocolates for one family
$180: A family reconnection outing
$360: A month of support for a returning soldier's household
$1,000: Home accessibility help for an injured soldier
$5,000: Full-year reintegration support for a family

Every Dollar Reaches Families

Smiles for the Kids operates with zero overhead. No salaries. 100% of every donation goes directly to soldiers and families. Smiles for the Kids holds the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency.

Smiles for the Kids, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 33-2583266. Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Smiles for the Kids 2027 Campaign

Reintegrating our soldiers and their families

Team Members