You’ve Got a Friend in Me: Military Families Count on Local Communities for Friendship and Support Military families struggle to belong. So much so that only one in four (27%) active-duty family respondents reported feeling a sense of belonging to their local civilian community on our 2020 Military Family Lifestyle Survey (MFLS). It’s no wonder why because military families move three times as often as their civilian counterparts, with most moving every two to three years. They’re forced to uproot and leave any friends and connections behind. Doing so is challenging under the best of circums ..read more

Lean on Me: Military Families are Struggling to Find Friendship and Belonging Did you know that only one in five (21%) active-duty family respondents to the 2020 Military Family Lifestyle Survey (MFLS) agreed that the civilians in their community truly understand the sacrifices made by local service members, Veterans, and their families?  That’s a problem. Why? Because when the civilian community doesn’t understand the issues military families face, military families often go without needed support. And that lack of support can lead to isolation and depression.  Caroline, an Army s ..read more

Meal Planning Tips for Military Families At the end of a busy day, one of the most dreaded questions that comes up is, “So what’s for dinner?” The mental load of getting through the day gets compounded when you also have to think about what to cook, whether you have all of the ingredients, how much time it will take, and the clean-up afterward.  How exhausting!  And yet it’s a daily thing that catches so many of us off-guard. No wonder we end up ordering takeout instead. That’s why Heather Campbell, registered dietitian with over a decade of experience in family and childhood nutri ..read more

Unpacking Emotional Baggage: Why #MilSpouses and #MilKids Need Mental Health Care Support Life as a military family has many benefits, but it also creates unique emotional debts that can result in mental health concerns. Most military spouses and families bravely forge ahead, which can lead to burying any trauma and pain experienced along the way. Those unresolved issues have to be dealt with—to heal and to ultimately continue serving as a strong family unit on the home front. But for most, it’s hard to raise a hand and admit help is needed. Why? For starters, across military-connected socia ..read more

Military Communities and the Little Free Pantries Movement “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”  – Coretta Scott King   Honoring the legacy of Coretta Scott King’s late husband, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with volunteerism and the forging of strong communities is an everyday goal of Blue Star Families.  One such connection and act of service is participation in the Little Free Pantries movement, a grassroots, crowdsourced solution for neighbors to meet local hunger needs. Nourishing our neighbors is an espec ..read more

Blue Star Welcome Week Helps Empower a #MilKid Blue Star Volunteer Belonging is a basic human need. And without a sense of belonging, we humans can quickly experience isolation and a host of other negative outcomes including loneliness, depression and, in some cases, even suicide.  Our military families often feel a lack of belonging and this issue can quickly spiral into problems that impact military families and jeopardize force readiness.  Eliana, a Navy spouse, and her daughter Briana have experienced the hardships of  five moves and endured five deployments and long-term ..read more

It’s official! The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has approved the study of employer discrimination towards military spouses in more detail to provide recommendations that advance solutions. This action only happened because military spouses spoke up and shared their experiences with us through the annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey.   Listen. Share. Partner. Act.  At Blue Star Families, that theory of change is the driving force behind our work. Four simple words that, together, have a big impact. We found that to be true with the National Defense Authorization ..read more

Speaking Up: Raising Awareness About Food Insecurity Affecting Military Families Today It’s hard to imagine, but some military families worry about putting food on the table.  In addition to facing deployments, time away from family and friends, and moving every few years, military families are struggling financially..  As a new military spouse, Rachel expected to face these typical challenges. She never expected to feel unsure of how they’d pay their bills or put food on the table. But by the middle of 2020, that’s exactly what Rachel’s family was facing. “I have always worked full ..read more

Missed Moments: Blue Star Families and Sleep Number Aim to Provide Support Through the Hardest Times Imagine being separated from your spouse and children for months with just 24-hours notice because your job demanded it. Most couldn’t imagine doing so, but our military families endure these experiences regularly. It’s hard on spouses who become single parents overnight and can be excruciating for the kids. The toll these unique experiences can take is why our military families need our support.  Families like Heathers. Her husband is a full-time police officer while also serving in the ..read more

Senators Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Representative Marilyn Strickland (D-WA) Championed the Bipartisan Effort to Support Military Spouse Employment Washington, DC (December 22, 2021) — Blue Star Families (BSF), the nation’s largest non-profit dedicated to supporting military families and strengthening communities across the United States, celebrates the inclusion of funding for a comprehensive study of military spouse unemployment in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and commends United States Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Senator Marsha Blackburn ..read more