Blue Star Families Celebrates the Month of the Military Child

This month Blue Star Families recognizes Month of the Military Child through a variety of events held around the country. As the nation’s largest chapter-based military families support organization, Blue Star Families embraces this unique time to honor and support military children.

“Our military children show tremendous resilience and have been through innumerable separations, especially during this past twelve-plus years of war,” said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families. “The Month of the Military Child is a great way to honor our military kids and show our appreciation for their contributions to the military community.”

Events hosted by Blue Star Family this month include letter-writing campaigns via Operation Appreciation, Books on Bases literacy events, community festivals, circus events and more! Visit Blue Star Families for a complete list.

For those military families who do not live near one of these even locations, Blue Star Families encourages parents to help their child go online and print the Military Child Certificate of Appreciation. 

Blue Star Families Partners to Create Spouse Ambassador Network

Last week the United States Department of Defense deepened its commitment to helping military spouses find jobs by launching the Spouse Ambassador Network, which will be a new arm of the department’s Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program. The Spouse Ambassador Network is made possible by SECO’s Military Spouse Employment Partnership and several military support organizations, including Blue Star Families, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the National Military Family Association. More than 200 businesses have joined the partnership as well, pledging to hire military spouses.

The Spouse Ambassador Network was created in collaboration with military spouses. “Well-networked” military husbands and wives were asked what career information and resources would be helpful to them when looking for jobs. As a result, the SECO website offers articles, links, networking opportunities, skill assessments and access to personality assessments that could guide spouses when making a career choice. The career center will be accessible 24/7 on the Military OneSource website and will even offer individuals the ability to transfer their LinkedIn profiles to the SECO site.

“[The partner companies] recognize the value of military spouses, and that they have the kinds of skills and talent that most employers are looking for in the 21^st century,” said Meg O’Grady. “They’re resilient, flexible, natural team players, and tend to be very local. Our employers have told us that bringing a military spouse into their organization creates a real value for that business.”

Disney Donates Books to Blue Star Families' Books on Bases Program

Blue Star Families has an exciting new partnership! Recently, the non-profit committed to supporting and empowering military families, partnered with the Walt Disney Company to grow its Books on Bases program. In June, more than 250 Army and Marine Corps family members from Joint Base Fort Myer-Henderson Hall near Washington, DC, received free books from Disney. Mickey Mouse made a surprise appearance at the event, where families also took part in group readings and craft activities.

Books on Bases was created by BSF as a way to positively impact the lives of military children through the power of reading. A healthy love of books can help military children cope with absent parents, frequent moves and other life changes. Other partners and supporters of the program include BAE Systems, Sleeping Bear Press, Operation Paperback, United Concordia and Random House. To date, the program has touched more than 150,000 lives and Disney’s donation of more than 30,000 books will go a long way to help the program continue to grow and prosper.

Connie Milstein is a member of the Blue Star Families Board of Directors and a Washington, DC local. She has been a long-term supporter of active duty military members, military families and our country’s veterans.