Please partner with Twinkle Holiday Lighting as we decorate the home of a deserving veteran family in Southwest Michigan through Operation Josh’s Lights! Here is a story about the veteran that made “Josh’s Lights” possible.
Josh Hoffman attended elementary and middle school in the Wayland area and graduated from high school in Virginia. He enlisted and served in the USMC then deployed to Fallujah, Iraq where he was critically wounded resulting in his paralysis and becoming a quadriplegic ending his military career.
In 2018 I received a call from Josh’s caregiver to inquire about decorating his home for the holidays. When I entered Josh’s home, I could tell by all the pictures that he had a full and active life prior to his service in the military. When we started talking about the lights, Josh lit up brighter than any of the lights we would be installing. The joy he got from the lights was obvious. His caregiver said every time we installed the lights he was overjoyed.
On December 27, 2021, at age 39 due to complications from injuries he received in 2007 while fighting in Iraq, Cpl. Joshua Hoffman passed away. We were deeply saddened when hearing the news and needed to determine what to do with the décor Josh purchased. I was able to connect with Josh’s mother who graciously offered to allow us to retain the décor to use on a deserving veteran’s home each holiday season.
We need your help to nominate a deserving veteran in our community to have the exterior of their family home decorated for the 2024 holiday season. Please fill out the form on this page to provide information about your nominee or forward this to your friends and family for nominees. Josh’s mother will review the finalists in a drawing to select the winner of this year’s Operation Josh’s Lights!
