Members of the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., community recently came together during a ceremony that donated two Caroline's Carts to the joint base commissary.

Caroline's Carts are shopping carts that were created for special-needs children that provides parents or caregivers the ability to grocery shop without having to maneuver a shopping cart as well as a wheel chair.

"This is a momentous occasion for us here at JB MDL," said Karl Hoover, Exceptional Family Member Program family support specialist. "At the EFMP we support our service members and their families so when a military member is gone, they have reassurance that their family is taken care of so they can complete the mission they were sent out to do."

The group provides support to military family members with special needs. EFMP services include a variety of personnel, medical, and family support functions and serves approximately 700 families across the joint base. Of those, roughly 60 families will directly benefit from the Caroline's Cart addition to the commissary, Hoover said.

Caroline's Cart is a shopping cart designed for special needs children.  The cart allows parents and caregivers to complete their shopping without having to maneuver a wheelchair and a shopping cart. The cart has several safety and comfort features, such as a five-point harness, contoured seat and locking front wheels for easy loading and unloading.

The new carts have been placed in the Exchange/Commissary area and will greatly improve the quality of life for many JB MDL families.

"The addition of the Caroline's Carts here is amazing and shows the priority of building and taking care of the community," said Col. James Hodges, JB MDL and 87th Air Base Wing commander. "We need to ensure we are taking care of each other and the military family. Without the hard work of the JB MDL exchange, commissary and spouses club this would not be possible. This was truly a family approach."

Ellen Vinzant, club president, noted how the actions of many people within the military community truly made a positive impact for the base populous.

"The donation of Caroline's Carts is one of the most rewarding things I've had the privilege to be a part of," she said. "It has been a very gratifying experience because we knew the donation would be a very tangible way to help our community. This is a perfect example of people donating their time to help improve the joint base for service members and their families."

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