Blue Star Families Continues Its Mission to Diversify Military and Veteran Service Organizations
WASHINGTON – Blue Star Families (BSF), the largest nonprofit in the U.S. focused on supporting military families and enhancing community connections, has welcomed the fourth cohort of fellows into its “Diversify and Expand the Pipeline of Leaders in Military Communities” (DEPLOY) Fellowship program. The DEPLOY Fellowship is a central part of the Campaign for Inclusion (CFI), an initiative dedicated to researching and taking action to improve the experiences of diverse service members, Veterans, and their families.
The CFI initiative is spearheaded by Campaign for Inclusion Director Carlandra (CT) Moss, U.S. Army Veteran, with the guidance of the Campaign for Inclusion Committee, a group of renowned military leaders, wounded warriors, caregivers, and spouses.
The latest report from CFI, Unity in Diversity: Fostering Inclusive Communities for Military Families, revealed that 23% of respondents of color do not feel welcome in their communities, underscoring the significant challenges these families face in achieving a sense of belonging and support.
The new DEPLOY cohort and their areas of focus include:
- Chavelle Zackery, JPMorgan Chase Financial Wellness DEPLOY Fellow
- Benjamin Saldana, Cyber Security DEPLOY Fellow
- Wendy Cota, Lockheed Martin Welcome DEPLOY Fellow
- Johnny Farris, Outdoors DEPLOY Fellow
- Cierra Manuel, USAA Research & Policy DEPLOY Fellow
“The success of our DEPLOY Fellowship program is evident as we welcome our fourth cohort. This demonstrates our commitment to increasing representation and fostering a strong, inclusive community,” said Anicia Myers, Program Manager, Blue Star Families’ Campaign for Inclusion.
The DEPLOY Fellowship program aims to:
- Advance the careers of fellows through hands-on training and leadership development.
- Increase awareness of the unique challenges faced by diverse military and Veteran-connected families and develop solutions to address these issues.
- Encourage fellows to pursue long-term careers in military and Veteran service organizations (MSOs and VSOs) after their fellowship.
- Enhance understanding of the military and Veteran service organization ecosystem, preparing a new generation of racially diverse leaders to address the sector’s significant underrepresentation of diversity.
“We are excited to announce the launch of the Campaign for Inclusion’s DEPLOY Fellowship Cohort 4! This new group of passionate individuals is set to embark on a transformative journey, working together to create meaningful change within our military communities. We can’t wait to see the amazing contributions and innovations that will emerge from this dynamic cohort!” said CT Moss, Director of the Campaign for Inclusion.
Fellows will serve for one year in Chapter-based and national roles at BSF while they work with key defense and philanthropic sector leaders to develop subject matter expertise.
About Blue Star Families’ Campaign for Inclusion:
Blue Star Families evolved and expanded the Racial Equity and Inclusion Initiative into the Campaign for Inclusion to offer more broad support to diverse military and Veteran families. Blue Star Families has found opportunities for communities to come together to better support these service members, Veterans, and their families by listening and taking action . Helping families feel at home and included in the communities where they live and serve is at the heart of Blue Star Families’ work. This campaign offers an opportunity to uphold its mission while empowering stakeholders to join in on this important work.
Learn more about Blue Star Families.
Learn more about Blue Star Families’ Campaign for Inclusion.
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