Blue Star Stories

Welcome to our blog where you'll find the stories from the lives of our Blue Star Families.

Stop and read if you or someone in your military family wears prescription eyeglasses or contacts

October 4, 2022

There’s much to learn as a military spouse when navigating this crazy and sometimes complicated life. So, let us help you out, friend. Stop what you’re doing for two seconds…

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Dayton Chapter Director Geri Maples (center) stands, along with her husband (left) with Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval (right) as he presents her with a Blue Star Welcome Week proclamation.

Why We Need New Official Government Proclamations of Military Family Support

September 23, 2022

Blue Star Welcome Week continues to gain support from leaders in communities across the country – leaders who see and recognize the challenges military and Veteran families face and encourage…

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Schlotzsky’s Welcomes Military Families to the Neighborhood

September 22, 2022

Once upon a time, there was a nonprofit named Blue Star Families, founded by military families for military families. Every year, Blue Star Families would hear peers say, “We’re isolated…

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Blue Star Volunteer Misty stands at an oceanfront with a Blue Star Families T-Shirt and a sign that reads Welcome to Monterey, CA

How Volunteering is Helping One Military Spouse Rebuild Community

September 22, 2022

If you’ve ever moved, then you’re likely no stranger to the anxieties of being new in town. For military families who move every two to three years on average, it’s…

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Sharon stands alongside two military service members after receiving the Purple Heart.

Healing Wounds with Support: A Purple Heart Story

September 22, 2022

  “Six months later, I woke up in Germany, not knowing who my parents were because of the extent of injuries that I endured. So, I was out in Germany…

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Kimberly poses in front of three large elephants with her husband.

What You Should Know About Kimberly, the New Housing Insecurity DEPLOY Fellow

September 22, 2022

As the 2022 Wells Fargo Housing Insecurity DEPLOY Fellow, Kimberly has a lot to offer military families.  For starters, she understands military families. Her mother was the first Korean female…

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A military child sits in a circular reading nook, reading a book, in the Martin Luther King library.

Military Families: Look to Your Library as a Valuable and Welcoming Resource

September 22, 2022

Authors: Barry Trott, M.S.L.S., Library of Virginia     Nicole Rawlinson, M.L.I.S., Blue Star Families When it comes to moving, military families know all the ins and outs. The average…

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Marla Bautista, and her son hand out food to a man sitting on the ledge of a sidewalk in the city.

From Adversity to Advocate, Get to Know Marla Bautista

September 21, 2022

Marla Bautista, an Army wife and mother of three, knows firsthand that advocacy can play an important role in building a stronger, more supported community. That’s because she was once…

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Laci sits, hugging her two daughters in the grass.

The Challenge of Family Building and How Military Spouses Can Help

September 21, 2022

When Laci married her Air Force service member, she was informed her family building journey would be difficult and conceiving a child naturally wasn’t likely.  Laci’s story, though heartbreaking, is…

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