The month of May is the perfect time to honor a service member and/or show your support for a military family. There are a variety of ways you can support and honor our troops and their families and help celebrate Military Appreciation this month - click here to see a list of ideas and activities.
Earlier this month, First Lady Michelle Obama called on the country to support military families during a keynote address at the National Military Family Association's Summit : "When Parents Deploy: Understanding the Experiences of Military Children and Spouses". Our Operations and Grants Manager, Alicia Washkevich, attended the event. A Navy vet herself, Alicia knows the hardships around multiple deployments. The Summit was both informative and inspiring. The RAND Corporation discussed their findings in one of the first ever studies on military youth and the affects of multiple deployments for one or both parents. The report, entitled "Children on the Homefront," is available on the RAND website.
First Lady Michelle Obama's keynote speech was the highlight of the Summit. Mrs. Obama announced that the President has directed the National Security Staff to lead a new 90-day review to develop a coordinated Federal government-wide approach to supporting and engaging military families. We're also thrilled to note that she cited the Sierra Club's efforts in supporting military families!
"One of the great lessons of recent years is that you don't need to be a military expert to help. You don't necessarily need to build something new to help. You can keep doing what you're already doing and connect your work to the priorities of military families. Consider the Sierra Club, which partnered with the NMFA to create Operation Purple - summer camps that have made a difference in the lives of tens of thousands of military kids." Click here to read the First Lady's full remarks.
We sincerely appreciate First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden's leadership on behalf of military families and we are excited to hear about the new Presidential Directive. We encourage you to take up the First Lady's challenge and take action to support the military this month. Next weekend is Memorial Day so please be sure to take a few moments to pay tribute to our fallen heroes.
Brittany
