MOAA Spouse’s Favorite Things
Dec 22 2010
Sorry Oprah fans, we don’t have gifts to give, but the gift of GIVING. Here are MOAA Spouse’s 10 favorite military non profits. We (Kelly and Monique) have personally worked for, received from, or participated in each of these organizations, so we’re speaking from experience. Check out our list.
1. Our Military Kids – Their mission is straightforward. Support military kids through enriching activities. Thousands of military children from Guard, Reserve and wounded families have received funds for tutoring, ballet, music, martial arts and so much more thanks to the compassion and business savvy of two women (not from military families) who wanted to make a difference in the lives of the nation’s military kids. Mission accomplished!
2. National Military Family Association – With free summer camps for military kids and scholarships for spouses, this organization has led the way in service for military families for more than 40 years. (And they’re our long time colleagues within The Military Coalition!)
3. Military Child Education Coalition – checklists on transferring students, navigating children through loss, camp scholarships and professional development for teachers – MCEC is the hub for all things related to milkids and school.
4. F.O.C.U.S. – Families Overcoming Under Stress teaches resiliency training to military families. We love that it’s a solution based program with a civilian partnership, co-developed by UCLA Center for Community Health and the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCTSN) and funded by the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) of the U.S. Department of the Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps.
5. Blue Star Families – They’re the group behind such programs as Books on Bases, Smiles on Faces; Blue Star Museums, and the 2010 Military Family Lifestyle survey. Launched in 2008 by some seriously hardworking military spouses, Blue Star Families has leveraged social media in a way like no other military organization, and has garnered the attention of the White House many times over.
6. United Through Reading – “Read me a book, daddy.” Your kiddies can still get their bedtime stories through this program which partnered up with the next organization on our list. It’s simple: United Through Reading has set up stations for all deploying military units and some USO locations where moms and dads can read books to their kids on DVD. (Pssst. We won’t tell if you watch them for a little comfort, too!)
7. USO – Bob Hope. Marilyn Monroe. Toby Keith. You are major star if you’ve been on a USO tour, but the real celebrities are the ones in uniform, thanks to the 69-year-old United Services Organization. They bring inspiration and a break from the battle field whether you’re in an airport or recovering from wounds. Plus, their motto “Until Everyone Comes Home” is one we can all agree on.
8. The Fisher House Foundation – One of only two people to ever receive the designation as an honorary veteran, Zachary Fisher’s legacy has provided the comforts of home for the families of our convalescing service members since 1991. The newest homes were opened in Bethesda this month.
9. Zero to Three – Our youngest military kids are affected by stress, unpredictability and lack of bonding, but Zero to Three has empowered military parents of children ages – you guessed it; zero to three years old – to mitigate these stresses with tips grounded in science. And pics of cute babies – well we just can’t resist!
10. Wounded Warrior Project – This organization is defined by its vision: To foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded warriors in this nation’s history. WWP has been making a difference in the lives of soldiers, Sailors, airmen, and Marines and their family members since 2003. We give kudos to this great organization for its grassroots efforts.
Did we miss one? Share your favorite organization with us.
~Kelly and Monique
Kelly Cotton is the deputy director in Government Relations for spouse and family issues at MOAA and a mom of two.
Monique Rizer is the deputy director for Spouse Programs at MOAA and a mom of two.
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Kelly and Monique,
Thank you for including United Through Reading in your Top Ten list fo Favorite Things! We are honored to be recognized with these fine organizations who all work so hard to better the lives of military families. Happy Holidays!- Deborah Loeffler, Director of National Outreach, United Through Reading.
Thanks for including Wounded Warrior Project on your list! We appreciate the support in our mission to honor and empower wounded warriors and their family caregivers! -Jen Boyce, Social Media Manager, Wounded Warrior Project
Thank you for including FOCUS in your top ten list. We are honored to be mentioned among such wonderful organziations. Thank you for spreading the word and informing your readers about quality services and programs.
Catherine Mogil, Director of Training, FOCUS
Hi Jen! This is Monique! We used to work together when I freelanced for WWP. I’m now working at MOAA on spouse programs…You all continue to do great things. Take care!
Kelly and Monique,
Thanks for another informative newsletter/blog! So pleased to see my personal favorite-United Through Reading – in your list of favorite non-profit military family organizations. Happy 2011 and thanks for all you do on our behalf!
Lynn
Have workedwith/for the USO as a volunteer at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport since it opened (Mar 09). Great organization, busy place w/all the Ft Jackson recruits.
Ladies, great article! As a retired English/Communications instructor, I feel the need for constructive criticism and to help you avoid a grammar mistake in your future writing. “Spouse’s” indicates a singular, so MOAA “Spouse’s” begs the question, Who is SHE? The correct spelling is plural first (spouses) and then add the possessive apostrophe (spouses’). I’m just trying to help…
Marilyn
Hello Marilyn! It is kind of you to make your case for proper grammar. But, I think we at MOAA Spouse may be correct on this one.
MOAA Spouse is the name of our program. The possessive singular was intentional as the list was our “program’s” favorite charities. Do we pass?
Thanks for reading.
MOAA Spouse
Please don’t forget the Marine and Family Services New Parent Support Programs, and their other services’ equivalents by different names. We support and educate active duty, reserve & retired military families with children under the age of 6 through our Home Visitation program and our Baby Boot Camp and Parenting classes.
And many personal as well as professional kudos to Fisher Houses. Though I do believe the MOST recent one just opened at Camp Lejeune in NC in March 2011!
Please don’t forget about Armed Services YMCA. They work tirelessly to meet the needs of the families they serve – from Operation Hero, to Military outreach programs to Operation Kid Comfort. Every branch or affiliate is responsive to military families’ and soldiers’ needs.
http://www.asymca.org
Please also consider Operation We Are Here!
Our mission is:
To create an awareness of the challenges of the military community
To offer practical suggestions to churches, communities and individuals on how to support and encourage the military community
To provide a comprehensive list of resources for the military community and its supporters
Thank you for checking it out!