10 Ways Civilians Can Support Military Families
May is Military Appreciation Month—the month where we celebrate Armed Forces Day, recognize milspouses with Military Spouse Appreciation Day, and remember the fallen with Memorial Day. But how can you best help military families?
Here are some ways civilians can really support military families:
1. Thank them for their sacrifice. Keep it short and simple. Intense feelings of sadness and fear lie just beneath the surface. Too much emotional sympathy—or worse, pity—may undo their hard-won self-control.
2. Leave opinions about the war at the door. Military spouses are as diverse in their beliefs as civilians. Their beliefs may not be the same as yours but those beliefs may help them cope with the fear and sadness they feel during a deployment. Just listen.
3. Donate to organizations that support service members and their families. There are so many worthy organizations out there, like the USO and Fisher House Foundation, which are close to the heart of military families, but you can find a list of worthwhile organizations here.
4. Friends, family members, and neighbors can give them a break. During deployment, homefront life is often isolated and grueling. Give specific offers of help: Provide a meal, mow the lawn, or offer to watch their kids for an evening.
5. Help out spouses in the workplace. Employers can give military spouses more flexible hours before, during, and immediately following a deployment, understanding that a spouse’s home demands have doubled.
6. Learn how to educate our military kids. Educators and daycare providers can turn to the Military Child Education Coalition to learn about how to best help children facing a deployment.
7. Help out for free, if you can, when possible. Professional organizations can offer pro bono services, such as donated legal services to families with deployed service members.
8. Support military families with social events. Churches, clubs, and book groups can offer support groups and social events, especially around holidays when a deployed family member’s absence may be extra hard.
9. Know what support organizations exist. Educate yourself about the services available to military families, many of whom are unaware and suffer alone. Family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, clergy, teachers, and others can create a safety net of support to steer individuals toward help.
10. Stay engaged! Make sure your military reflects the country you want America to be. Pay attention when military issues come up in the news, compare information from a variety of sources, write letters to the editor, and hold your elected leaders accountable for how they use the military and how well they support them.
