National Newsletter | Issue #15
Military spouse: Ever felt like being a MilSpouse is a leap of faith? I know that’s how I felt when I married my Marine. I didn’t come from a military family. I had no ties and little understanding of what it meant to be a military spouse. But you can’t help who you fall in love with.
In the beginning, I was confused. I am a lawyer, but my spouse wasn't labeled a lawyer’s spouse. It seemed that my husband’s career was turning into my identity. Becoming a military spouse is a label I didn’t identify with — at first.
As war crept into our lives, as it does for so many of us, I realized this new identity was how I show support — for my Marine and my fellow spouses. I fell into leadership roles, and it became immeasurably important to sustain a network of support for myself and those around me.
The world presents us with challenges, and we have to decide how we orient ourselves to them. I’ve found the best way is to face my challenges with love. It can be very humbling to lead a life of service. As military spouses, we need to open our hearts to serve in different and new ways.
At Blue Star Families, we celebrate MilSpouses because it’s about uplifting a whole community. Our annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey is one of our greatest strengths as an organization. We listen to your needs and take action to make your life better understood and, hopefully, a little easier. Our outstanding partners step in to help you out too! This Military Appreciation Month, we’re committed to supporting the mental health of our military community. For each Military eGift sold in May, Starbucks will donate $5, divided evenly between Blue Star Families and Operation Gratitude. We also can’t wait to celebrate military spouses on Military Spouse Appreciation Day, May 6th. Be sure to follow along for some amazing giveaways!
This month, we’re here to celebrate YOU.
Thank you for living a life of service, MilSpouse.
You make our nation stronger!
National Newsletter
Celebrating MilSpouses on Military Spouse Appreciation Day
We're excited to honor and celebrate YOU, MilSpouse, on Military Spouse Appreciation Day, May 6th! To show our gratitude, we've teamed up with several top brands (Blue Star Partners) who’re committed to supporting you no matter where you are on your military journey. Enter for a chance to win one or more incredible prizes from May 2nd - 5th. We'll announce the winners on Friday, May 6th. Thank you for all you do!
Survey Time Is Almost Here!
Mark your calendars and tell your friends — our annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey opens on May 23rd! This year we're offering the entire survey in Spanish! Our research is making changes in programs and policies, and YOU get to be a part of that meaningful change by sharing your voice. Thanks to BAE Systems, Pratt & Whitney, Craig Newmark Philanthropic Fund, and USAA for support of this year’s survey.
Blue Star Summer Is Back!
The countdown is on for Blue Star Summer 2022! And we're bringing the heat thanks to some amazing #BlueStarPartners. Plenty of outdoor-focused fun for the entire family is on the horizon—think at-home STEM activities, museum visits, park adventures, nature bingo, chances to win prizes, and even virtual meetups every Wednesday from June 8th - August 3rd. Keep an eye out for more details coming soon!
Intuit Wants to Hire You!
This summer, begin your career — Introducing a new bookkeeping certification by Intuit. The certification provides you with foundational skills to prepare you to work as a remote QuickBooks Live bookkeeper for Intuit. Learn more about QuickBooks Live or meet the recruiter on May 19th.
Join Us as a Survey Ambassador!
It's almost time to launch our annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey, and we need your help! Join our team of Blue Star Survey Ambassadors to assist in survey outreach and ensure that the voices of military families are heard.
MilSpouse, We Are Celebrating You All Month Long!
Military Spouse Appreciation isn’t just a day here at Blue Star Families — we’re celebrating military spouses all month long. Join Blue Star Careers and all the festivities at Spouseforce.
wear blue: run to remember — Memorial Day
This Memorial Day, wear blue: run to remember will honor the over 65,000 American service members who have given their lives in service to our country since the first days of the Vietnam War. Register and join us in committing your miles this year and remember.
If you have any questions or would like to host your own wear blue Memorial Day run with wear blue, please reach out to Michael Bailey. Thank you for committing your steps to power a global living memorial with wear blue: run to remember this Memorial Day!
Members get these exclusive freebies...
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Reminders
According to the 2021 annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey, “A third of active-duty spouse respondents (33%) currently hold student loan debt in their family, which is most commonly used to fund their own education (82%)." Did you know that you can receive credit toward forgiveness of your student loan payments, which you may not have been eligible for before? But you only have until October 31st, 2022!
Starbucks Military Appreciation
This Military Appreciation Month, we’re committed to supporting the mental health of our military community. For each Military eGift sold in May, Starbucks will donate $5, split evenly between Blue Star Families and Operation Gratitude.
Army Approves New Parenthood Policy
Find out the latest on the Army's sweeping new Parenthood Policy. The new directives will affect 400,000 soldiers who are also parents.
Thank You, Blue Star Partners!
Simply put, if it weren’t for dedicated supporters like ours, Blue Star Families wouldn’t be what it is today. Thank you to our partners for supplying the funds we need to make a difference in the lives of military families and helping them find a sense of belonging in their community.
Congratulations to our DEPLOY Fellows, who are graduating this month! It has been a pleasure getting to work with these extraordinary individuals over the course of a year, and we wish them the very best as they move forward to put their leadership skills to work. And thank you to the generous gifts from funders who made these fellowships possible!
Quiana Abner, USAA National Chapter DEPLOY Fellow
Brittney Aladetohun, JPMorgan Chase Financial Wellness DEPLOY Fellow
Charo Bates, USAA Policy & Social Impact DEPLOY Fellow
Adriene Engstrom, Craig Newmark New York Tri-State DEPLOY Fellow
Kelley Klor, Amazon Food Insecurity DEPLOY Fellow
Tonya Murphy, Lockheed Martin National Capital Region DEPLOY Fellow
Anicia Myers, Robert R. McCormick Foundation Chicagoland DEPLOY Fellow
Nicole Rawlinson, Blue Star Outdoors DEPLOY Fellow
Leslie Wightman, Salesforce Technology DEPLOY Fellow