(photo by Eleena Fikhman) From left to right: Eileen Ahern, Billie Kochara, Virginia RisCassi and Carol LaVoy present commissary vouchers that are donated to Henderson Hall Marine and Family Services by AOWCGWA-Fort Myer Thrift Shop.

The vouchers will give lower-ranking Marines (sergeant and below) that are facing financial difficulty in the coming weeks to buy food and other necessities for their wives and children. It’s an adaptation of traditional holiday food basket donations, made more versatile for modern military families to use.

The AOWCGWA-Fort Myer Thrift Shop community grants committee has made donations to Marine and Family Services for more than10 years, Eileen Ahern, co-chair of the committee, said.

‘‘These donations from the Thrift Shop are incredibly important,” Carol LaVoy, readiness program manager for Henderson Hall’s Marine and Family Services said. ‘‘[The Marines] can take these certificates and get what they need for the holidays. They’re as good as cash at the commissary.”

The thrift shop donated more than $107,000 to different charities and scholarship funds last year, Ahern said. All of that money came from donations to or consignment sales through the thrift shop.

‘‘This isn’t just a great place to help stretch your dollar during hard economic times,” Ahern said. ‘‘The money you spend here is used to help other people, through donations to different community groups and scholarships we offer in the spring.”

LaVoy joked that the donations have reflected the spirit of joint basing even before the idea of combining Fort Myer and Henderson Hall operations had been conceived. The inter-service help, though, is nothing to kid about.

‘‘They don’t have to do this,” she said. ‘‘But out of the goodness of their hearts they’ve chosen to reach out to our Marines.”

Donations to the thrift shop can be made directly at the shop and at the donation drop box in the Marine Corps Exchange parking garage at Henderson Hall. Donations are tax-deductible; receipts are available upon request.

While consignors have to be ID-card holding Department of Defense or military personnel, the general public can shop and donate to the thrift shop.

‘‘We really encourage people to come because of the two-fold benefit,” Ahern said. ‘‘Sure, there are great deals to be had here, but when you get down to it, the end result is people helping people.”