What We Do

OUR MISSION

Full Circle Home honors, celebrates and connects our service members and Your Site Title eir heroes at home through the act of sending their personal love note and curated box of gifts to their loved one. We are built on three foundational pillars that create a complete circle of support:

Heroes at Home - We ensure military families feel seen, appreciated, and supported, recognizing their invaluable sacrifices and unwavering strength.

Service Members - We provide our brave men and women in uniform with a heartfelt way to express gratitude and love to those who stand beside them.

Community - We engage volunteers and educate the public about both the challenges and extraordinary resilience of military life, fostering deeper understanding and connection.

Through the simple yet powerful act of giving, we honor service, celebrate love, and build bridges that span any distance.

“It made us all very emotional. It’s amazing to know that there are people out there that care and it put in the time and effort to do something so special for spouses who are missing loved ones.”

— K.T.

What we have achieved…

  • Connected over 40,000 service members and their loved ones at Christmas, Mother's Day and Father's Day

  • Connected troops and their heroes at home in every state in the nation

  • Created a program for Injured and Healing service members at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, both inpatient and outpatient

  • Honored as one of 13 nonprofits at the Air Force Chief of Staff (ret) Norton Schwartz's home

  • Full Circle Home was the Congressional Spouses Service Project 2012, held at the Naval Observatory

  • Featured on the Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox News, better.tv, Family Circle Magazine, and more

Who We Are

  • Vickie Durfee

    FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    The first gift set requested was by my Marine son, Gil. I sent his note and a gift set to his then girlfriend, now wife. The following year, in 2007, my goal was to help his squad of 12 do the same. I know the feelings when a loved one is deployed - the unsettled gnawing, constantly wondering if your service member is ok. It never leaves until they have returned. By focusing on helping others in my situation, it helped me weather Gil’s deployment. After Gil returned, I realized that that was just the beginning; everyone overseas is someone’s son or daughter, spouse or loved one. 

  • Kari Ray

    DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS

    For 22 years, the Navy shaped every chapter of my family’s life.  I know what it feels like to miss holidays together, to celebrate milestones apart, and to lean on small gestures that make the distance easier. Working for Full Circle Home allows me to give those same moments of comfort and connection to other military families, and that’s a mission close to my heart.

  • Aly Arena

    BOARD MEMBER

    I come from a family with many veterans, and I’ve seen firsthand the sacrifices service members, and their loved ones make. Serving on the board allows me to honor that service and help ensure military families feel supported, connected, and appreciated during deployments.

  • Jennifer Hearne

    BOARD MEMBER

    As a veteran, I appreciate the connection that Full Circle Home enables between active duty military and their support at home.  It is an honor to acknowledge the sacrifice of the families that are often overlooked. The smallest note from a loved one can have the largest impact.

  • Colleen Wightman

    BOARD MEMBER

    My father served as a Marine for 25 years, spending 11 of those years deployed. In all that time, my mother never received a single Birthday, Christmas, or Mother’s Day gift from him while he was away, not because he didn’t care, but because there was no simple way to make that connection. When I found Full Circle Home, I knew it was a way to honor my parents’ story and help ensure that no other woman would feel forgotten or left out during a loved one’s deployment. This mission is personal, powerful and important.

  • Shelly Roberts

    BOARD MEMBER

    As a mother of a US Marine, I understand the anxiety and fear that comes with having a son in the military.  While I found the experience both challenging and enlightening, I discovered through receiving a Full Circle Home gift for Mother's Day from my son, just how important it was to him to be able to provide me with a gift and a personal note while he was on deployment.  We often think of the folks at home who are missing their "special person", but it is my mission to help people understand just how much it means to the military service member to be able to be a part of the special days back home!