How To Support Military Families
Editor’s note: The information for this article comes from the Military Child Education Coalition, a nonprofit that lends support to military families when it comes to military child education.
Often times, civilians (sometimes, our family and friends included) are unsure how to communicate their intentions of support to the military community.
Here are some simple ways anyone can help out whether it’s your family, friends, or neighbors who you know or who are living in your community:
1. Hang out.
Where appropriate, invite the spouse of a deployed service member to go out to dinner or see a movie. Getting out of the house is a great stress reliever during a lonely time.
2. Be yourself.
Look for opportunities to help by matching your own talents and resources with the needs of another.
3. Volunteer.
Organizations all over the country are helping military families. Whether it’s with time, money, or talents, it’s the volunteers that keep these much-needed services running. It’s as simple as getting involved or volunteering with your local VFW; or encouraging students, businesses, or other organizations to collect or send care packages to deployed troops through your school or workplace.
4. Provide a helping hand.
When a service member you know is deployed, offer a play date for their kids, run errands, assist with home repairs, cook dinner, or help with anything else that would be easier to do when there are two parents in the home.
5. Show your appreciation.
Business owners can offer military discounts for service members and their families. Let military families know that they’re thought of and appreciated for their sacrifice during the lengthy deployments without their service member.
6. Give a taste of home.
Bake or cook for single military personnel or invite them over for a holiday meal when they’re stationed away from home.
7. Be a friend.
Having a spouse deployed is extremely difficult and having a shoulder to lean on eases the hardship.
8. Be understanding.
Civilians can offer employment opportunities to military spouses and understand that their lifestyle may cause time gaps in a military spouse’s resume. It can be hard to establish a career while having to move to a new duty station every few years.
9. Support education.
Make military children feel welcome when they arrive in your children’s schools. When possible, be lenient with tryout dates and admission cut-offs.
10. Speak up.
Write and call your senators or representative and let them know that their constituents appreciate our military and care about military families and their welfare.
11. “Rock the vote.”
Stay informed about legislative issues that will affect our service members, and vote for candidates who support military families.
12. Be a proud American.
Through actions and words support the men and women of the military. Never take for granted the individual freedoms these service members work tirelessly to safeguard and defend, often at great personal risk and sacrifice. They do it not only for themselves, but for their family members who support them daily in their patriotic service and privilege. Keep your flag flying high!
By using the guide above as a reference, you can empower others by educating them about our unique lifestyle. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness; “robbing others of a blessing” is the lens I’ve grown to appreciate by allowing others to support my family when my spouse is away. If you allow others to support in the simple and meaningful ways highlighted above, benefits of these supportive gestures will be felt for a lifetime.
