DAPHNE, Ala. — “Wouldn’t it be awesome to let kids see their dad at Christmas?” said Melissa Hoffman, marketing director of Prudential Nichols Real Estate in Daphne.

The business — with some help from modern technology — will help local parents with children in the military do just that.

Operation Christmas Calls, part of the Freedom Calls Foundation, enables video conferences between soldiers in Iraq and their families. Prudential Nichols will sponsor the day-long program on Dec. 16. Families of overseas soldiers will be able to see and talk to their loved ones during a 30-minute video conference. The call is free for the family, but reservations are required.

Also, loved ones must be stationed at one of the following:

•Camp Taji

•Camp Fallujah

•Camp Taqaddum

•Al Asad Airbase

•Camp Victory

The family can bring a group or have an intimate conversation with their soldier.

Priscilla Bresnahan of Spanish Fort said she is eager to see and hear her son, Matthew, a lance corporal in the Marines. He left for Iraq in October and is stationed at Al Asad Airbase. Bresnahan intends to bring her other three children, husband, daughter-in-law and grandson to the video conference. At that time, Matthew Bresnahan will see his 8-month-old son, Jacob Lee, crawl.

Prudential Nichols has downloaded the software and will provide the video equipment for the calls, Hoffman said. Freedom Calls Foundation will provide the satelite network to Iraq.

Freedom Calls Foundation is a nonprofit organization. The network operating cost is $1,000 per day, so Prudential Nichols is accepting donations to help the Freedom Calls Foundation offset costs.

To help, bring checks to Prudential Nichols locations in Daphne, Fairhope, Bay Minette or Loxley.

Alternatively, mail checks to Prudential Nichols Real Estate at 6351 Monroe Street, Daphne, AL. 36526 with the subject line, “Operation Christmas Calls.”

To make an appointment for a video conference, call Prudential Nichols at 626-2030.

“I encourage all families to call,” Bresnahan said. “It will mean even more to the Marines than it will to us.”