Blue Star Stories

Military Spouse Turns Career Challenges into Opportunities Did you know that 20% of military spouses are unemployed and, according to the 2020 Military Family Lifestyle Survey, 67% of employed military spouses are underemployed? That’s a major problem because spouse under/unemployment is not only creating financial stress for families, but also mental and emotional stress.  Adam,…

Adjusting to Life as a Military Connected Caregiver: Finding a Community of Support  There are 5.5 million military and veteran caregivers in the U.S. today. Two of every five veteran family respondents to the 2020 Military Family Lifestyle Survey (43%) reported they were an unpaid caregiver; a quarter of these caregivers (27%) are caring for…

Starbucks Raises Its Hand Year-Round to Support & Connect MilFams Through Their Sacrifices Separation is an inevitable part of military life. Between deployments, temporary duty assignments, and moves, military families are constantly saying goodbye to loved ones—whether it’s their service members, or their friends and family. In fact, time away from family is consistently a…

Meet Jenny: #BSFBeatCOVID19 This past year has been filled with many tough, emotional questions that were left unanswered for months on end.  How long will this shutdown last?  Will my kids ever return to school in person?  Is daycare safe for my toddler?  When can I see my family again? When you add in a…

Meet Jacob & His Family: #BSFBeatCOVID19 Meet Jacob. He’s a 16-year-old military kid. Like so many, Jacob and his family have had a hard year adjusting to the changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Especially when it came to school, the switch to virtual learning proved to be very difficult. “Like most military families,…

Paying It Forward During Military Appreciation Month Three Ways to Give Back to Military Families   By Kathy Roth-Douquet and Kevin Schmiegel  We don’t have to tell you that 2020 was an unprecedented year. Between the ongoing pandemic and its physical, social, and economic toll, and the civil unrest that sparked deep and challenging conversations…

There are 5.5 million military and veteran caregivers in the U.S. today. These hidden heroes make incredible sacrifices in support of caring for a loved one—whether a parent, grandparent, child, or wounded warrior; they also face unique experiences and struggles based on their circumstances. Even those caring for a wounded warrior may be in very…

Meet Misty. She’s an Army veteran and mom of two. In 2001, Misty was living in New York, just an hour from New York City, waiting for her Officer Candidate School class assignment. The 9/11 terror attacks further fueled her desire to serve. “It [9/11] was the most surreal time, and everyone just came together,”…

One Choice MilFams Shouldn’t Have to Make Military life comes with a unique set of challenges for all families—from deployments to frequent moves, time away for training, and the general unpredictability of not knowing what lies ahead, just to name a few. But what happens when your family is thrown an extra curveball? For example,…