Blue Star Stories
Military Kids, Childhood Food Insecurity, and Resources to Help
Military Kids, Childhood Food Insecurity, and Resources to Help Military children are the highlight of the month of April. When military families serve around the world, military kids serve, too–moving on average every two to three years. These moves can be a challenge, disrupting school, relationships, and ties to their communities. Therefore, it’s no wonder…
Read moreBlue Star Families Partners with Kids in Parks, Giving You Yet Another Reason to Get Outside
Blue Star Families Partners with Kids in Parks, Giving You Yet Another Reason to Get Outside When was the last time you intentionally got outside as a family? As a parent, it’s easy to get wrapped up in everyday life and finding a way to fill the time that you “forget” about an excellent resource…
Read moreRanger Betty: Shaping Stories and Inspiring the Next Generation of Trailblazers
Ranger Betty: Shaping Stories and Inspiring the Next Generation of Trailblazers Our national parks tell the stories of people, communities, and movements while connecting us to the lands we call home. These places are only made more treasured by the people who bring them to life through interpretive conversation, education, and impactful storytelling. On this…
Read moreCelebrate Black History with Your Child(ren)
Celebrate Black History with Your Child(ren) Written by JP Morgan Chase and Co. DEPLOY Fellow, Brittney Aladetohun Famous historian and author Dr. Carter G. Woodson is best known as the father of Black History Month, an idea that he pioneered over 40 years ago. Did you know that Black History Month was only one week…
Read moreCelebrating Black Outdoor Leaders and Organizations
Celebrating Black Outdoor Leaders and Organizations By: Nicole Rawlinson, Blue Star Outdoors DEPLOY Fellow ‘Mirrors and windows’ is a phrase that often comes up in my line of work. What does it mean? It is a phrase that highlights the importance of diversity in the information and media we consume, the spaces we enter, and…
Read moreReducing Financial Pressure: Financial Resources and WIC Information for Military Families
Reducing Financial Pressure: Financial Resources and WIC Information for Military Families Various factors influence food insecurity, and one of the most frustrating excuses for the presence of food insecurity is financial mismanagement. Financial literacy is not the end-all-be-all factor in ending food insecurity in the military. What will help? Spouse employment. Affordable child care. Higher…
Read moreAir Force Veteran Continues to Serve the Community She Loves with the Support of Blue Star Families
Air Force Veteran Continues to Serve the Community She Loves with the Support of Blue Star Families Meet Cassie, a member of Blue Star Families’ Dayton Chapter and Advisory Board President. She’s an Air Force veteran who served over 20 years. Throughout her career, Cassie understood the importance of being confident—confident in having a seat…
Read moreDayton-Area Military Veteran and Softball Coach Steps Up to Bat to Show Young Girls What’s Possible
Dayton-Area Military Veteran and Softball Coach Steps Up to Bat to Show Young Girls What’s Possible When the draft ended in 1973, women represented 8% of officers and just 2% of enlisted service members. Since then, the makeup of the military has become increasingly diverse. Now, 16.5%(1) of all active-duty service members are women. With…
Read morePregnancy Illuminates the Challenges and Isolation of Military Life: Your Friendship Can Make a Difference
Pregnancy Illuminates the Challenges and Isolation of Military Life: Your Friendship Can Make a Difference Military life can pull you away from a lot – family and friends and all the special events that come with them, to name a few. It can be hard to swallow, but military families do their best to be…
Read moreYou’ve Got a Friend in Me: Military Families Count on Local Communities for Friendship and Support
You’ve Got a Friend in Me: Military Families Count on Local Communities for Friendship and Support Military families struggle to belong. So much so that only one in four (27%) active-duty family respondents reported feeling a sense of belonging to their local civilian community on our 2020 Military Family Lifestyle Survey (MFLS). It’s no wonder…
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