Blue Star Stories
Blue Star Community Changemaker: Meet Kelly
Blue Star Community Changemaker: Meet Kelly Delivered by CSX Pride in Service Did you know that most active-duty military families don’t feel a sense of belonging to their local civilian communities? In fact, over one third told Blue Star Families in the 2019 Military Family Lifestyle Survey that they don’t know anyone well enough…
Read moreLives Forever Changed: Reflecting on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11
Lives Forever Changed: Reflecting on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 In the military, we talk a lot about change — change of station, change of command, change of mission, change of status, change of schools. There’s an overall need to be adaptable to the “needs of the military.” We can’t think of any other group…
Read moreLost Innocence: Reflecting on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11
Lost Innocence: Reflecting on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 Twenty years. It seems impossible that it’s been that long, but for the last 20 years, military families have been serving during a time of war. Long enough that military children, affected by a lifetime of deployments and forever changed by loss, are now serving themselves…
Read moreBlue Star Welcome Week Aims to Help #MilKids Find Connections After Each Move
Blue Star Welcome Week Aims to Help #MilKids Find Connections After Each Move When you think about the sacrifices military members make, your first thought might be of those on the frontlines―service members deployed overseas to defend and protect the freedoms we all enjoy. What most Americans don’t understand is that our military families are…
Read moreWhen Facing Back-to-Back Long-Term Separations, #MilFams Rely on Community Connections to Survive
When Facing Back-to-Back Long-Term Separations, #MilFams Rely on Community Connections to Survive When you think about the sacrifices military members make, your first thought might be of those on the frontlines―service members deployed overseas to defend and protect the freedoms we all enjoy. What most Americans don’t understand is that our military families are serving…
Read moreMilFams Struggle More Than Ever to Find a Place to Call Home
MilFams Struggle More Than Ever to Find a Place to Call Home Moving is a part of military life and a reality that all military families accept. In fact, 600,000 military-connected families move every single year. That’s a full third of our All-Volunteer Force packing up and reporting to new duty stations—some across the country,…
Read moreBlue Star Families Provides Volunteer Opportunities for #MilKids
Military families move on average every two to three years, with an average of 400,000 service members moving on permanent change of station (PCS) orders every year. We often talk about the implications for spouse employment and the difficulty of building a network of support as a result of moving frequently, but what about…
Read moreSupporting Black Business during Black Business Month
Supporting Black Business during Black Business Month August is recognized as National Black Business Month, a month devoted to supporting and celebrating black-owned businesses across the country. We’re highlighting thirteen black-owned businesses that strive to serve their communities and give back to the military community as well. Check out these entrepreneurs below! Meet Marla…
Read moreFinding Unique School Solutions to Support #MilKids
Meet Shevaun. She’s a navy spouse and mother of four. Shevaun is no stranger to the fact that military life can be unpredictable and challenging. In 13 years of active-duty service, her family has moved six times, faced three deployments, and one year-long unaccompanied tour. Despite all they’ve endured, 2020 presented their biggest challenge…
Read moreFirst-Time Blue Star Museums Participant, Mexic-Arte Museum, Shares Inclusive Space for MilFams to Learn and Connect
First-Time Blue Star Museums Participant, Mexic-Arte Museum, Shares Inclusive Space for MilFams to Learn and Connect “Art matters because it is the one true great connector in a world that seems to be very unconnected.” – Josh Groban In many ways, military life is extremely fractured. Life is broken up into blocks of time─two-year command,…
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