November is a big month for military families and organizations like Blue Star Families, which Connie Milstein serves as a Board Director. On Veterans Day especially, many groups and nonprofits plan events or outreach programs to assist veterans and military families. This year, with the support of Bank of America, Habitat for Humanity of Washington, DC, Blue Star Families partnered with ServiceNation to host a service project in the northeast quadrant of the district. General Stanley McChrystal joined 50 volunteers from Blue Star Families and Bank of America to help build four Habitat for Humanity homes in the low-income neighborhood of Ivy City.
“It’s wonderful to watch the country coming together in honor of Veterans Day,” said Mark Smith, Executive Director of Blue Star Families. “I can’t think of a better way to thank our veterans and military families for their service than to honor them by serving in our communities.”
On a broader scale, Facebook participated in several events and even created a new app to honor U.S. veterans. Named the “A Nation Gives Thanks,” the app gives Facebook users an opportunity to thank active service members, veterans and their families for their service to the United States. Facebook created the app to focus on personal connections, making it easier for people to send messages to their friends and family members who are part of the military community. Blue Star Families both supported and endorsed this app, along with the USO, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the American GI Forum, Disabled Veterans, CNN.com, HLN, BranchOut and Military.com. Facebook and BSF also partnered to create a comprehensive guide on how troops and military families can use social media to stay connected.
Throughout the month of November, Blue Star Families is conducting its annual survey of military families, service members and veterans. The survey is designed to expose the truth of what it’s like to maintain home, family, careers and healthy relationships when living with the military absence of a family member. Last year’s survey showed that military families experience a higher-than-normal level of stress, but tend to cope well. Families reported that they experience more support from civilian neighbors than they did in 2009, but 92 percent reported that the general public didn’t understand or appreciate their challenges as military families. The survey runs through November 30.