Honoring Military Families: The heart of the services

November is here, and with it comes Military Family Appreciation Month! It's a time to recognize and honor the incredible sacrifices made by our military families.?

Since its declaration in 1996, this special month has served as a reminder of the challenges that military families face every day. With tens of thousands of military personnel deployed across the globe, their families have to endure additional hardships. In addition to the numerous locations our military was already stationed we have more supporting the defense of countries near Ukraine and the ongoing situation in the Middle East, our military members are spread far and wide, ensuring our safety and security.

In light of this, I want to take the opportunity this month to highlight some incredible military nonprofits that I've had the privilege to work with throughout the year. I'll be sharing more about their important work and how they support military families in need. Stay tuned for those!

As we delve into Military Family Appreciation Month, let me share a powerful reminder that when one member of the family joins the military, the entire family does, too. The family, however, has less idea what’s in store than their service member. From my experience, many families face unique challenges and emerge stronger together, supporting their loved ones in uniform. But that’s not true for all.?

It's disheartening to note that a Department of Defense study in 2022 revealed that one in four military families face food insecurity.? When you consider the number of families in the United States that require two incomes but military spouses have unemployment rates of 22% it becomes easier to understand why. Due to problems with childcare, cost or availability, some spouses chose not to work and therefore aren’t counted in unemployment numbers. Others may be stationed in a country where status of forces agreements make it impossible to continue employment even in this era of remote work. Over 30% of those spouses who are working are in part time roles but would prefer full time employment, again, impacted by childcare challenges.

All of this impacts the short and long term financial health of the military family.?

These statistics serve as a reminder of the importance of supporting military families and the non-profits that support them, not just during this month, but throughout the year.?

Let's take this opportunity to express our gratitude, appreciation, and support for our military families. If the non-commissioned officer is the backbone of our armed forces then the military family is its heart and their unwavering commitment deserves our recognition.

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