Last year, life changed for all of us.

Published: March 18, 2021

It’s been one year since COVID-19 was declared a global health emergency — within a week Blue Star Families launched a major initiative to help you through it. Under the banner of CMSI, with our partner ADC, we held our first town hall on March 19 to bring you the information and resources you needed. 

Last year, life changed for all of us. As one of our partners said, “Blue Star Families ran towards the sound of gunfire.” If you are military-connected, we have been by your side throughout this pandemic — and we’ve helped you get through it.  With 28 town halls, a daily newsletter, 10 Pain Points Polls, 44 policy recommendations, and more than 60 cross-sector partners mobilized, we’ve been there for you. And in 2021, we’ve kept going — bringing you Dr. Anthony Fauci, the directors of the Defense and Veterans Health Agencies, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretaries of Defense and VA, and the First Lady of the United States to help address your concerns about the vaccine.  

The Blue Star Families mantra is listen, share, partner, and act. Over the past 10+ years, we’ve built trust and goodwill with you — our members, our peers, and our national leaders. This foundation allowed us to act effectively in short order. As a result, demand for what we do surged, and we responded.

We will keep going. As long as there is a need for virtual programs, we’ll continue the popular activities we launched — from virtual summer camps complete with “field trips” to museums and national parks, to giving you Facebook Portals and Chromebooks that helped keep you connected.  

This month, we will release the results from our 2020 Military Family Lifestyle Survey. We asked COVID-19-related questions to collect updated data to gauge how military families are continuing to navigate this new landscape. We will use the results to continue our efforts to drive policy changes, create new programs, and amplify your voice so senior leaders hear your concerns. I hope you will join us for that event. Following the 2020 results release, fielding will begin for our 2021 survey. Your participation will be essential. 

Even in the most uncertain times, our dedication to supporting military families is unwavering. We will continue to stand by your side, we will continue to push forward, and, together, we will create a better, brighter future for military families. 

In gratitude and service,

Kathy Roth-Douquet

P.S. Our programs are always free for military families. Please share this with a military or veteran family, and encourage them to join today. For those of you who support military families, your financial support is important. Donate today.