As a military wife and a Blue Star Mom, I know how difficult it is on the family when a loved one is deployed. I’ve been there and know how much a little help can mean. I know from experience, that the great people in our Military perform best when they know their families are being cared for back home. And I want our service members to know that there is a military family in the Governor’s Mansion, who thanks them for protecting the freedoms we wake up to every morning, and that Virginia has their back!
Shortly after my husband’s Inauguration in January 2010, I launched FLITE, First Ladies Initiatives Team Effort, and I selected serving our military families as a main area of focus. Virginia is home to more active duty military and their families than any other state, and these military families need and deserve our support, especially during the months or even years they are without a mom or dad…or both. For this reason, I launched “Serving Our Service Member Families” (S.O.S).
In remembrance of those lost on September 11, when Virginia herself was attacked; and those called to arms in response to that attack; I want to honor our military and their families in some small way…, So on the 11th of every month, we do something to honor and bring attention to our service men and women, their families, and our veterans. I have challenged everyone in Virginia to adopt the 11th, or any day each month, as a day of “Serving Our Service Member Families” and do something special for the family of a deployed military member or wounded warrior.
Reaching out, connecting, and offering support to these families by simply letting them know you’d like to help if they have an emergency, or asking if they need anything repaired, or offering to lend a hand with some yard work ~ anything can mean so much when they’re carrying the load by themselves. It doesn’t take much to let them know how much we truly appreciate the immeasurable sacrifice they are making 24/7 for our Country and our Commonwealth.
And now, Virginia businesses and organizations can register here to give that support every day of the month by offering their services. So won’t you please register today by clicking the link above? Let’s all help by serving those who are already serving all of us.
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation.” ~~George Washington
Received from the wife of a wounded soldier: I cannot thank you enough for contacting the women's group for us. I could not believe my eyes when we pulled up. They did so much more than clean. They hung a wreath on our front door, put welcome home balloons in our family room, bought toys, books and diapers. They put fresh flowers on our counter, weeded our entire patio area, put potted plants out back, and put roses and spa items in our room. They somehow managed to clean our carpet (and removed a very stubborn stain that I had given up on!) They put multiple meals in our freezer, left more desserts than I even know what to do with, bought fresh fruit, milk, eggs, and bacon for us, and put some pantry staples and treats in our pantry. I was excited to just come home to a clean house, so to come home to all of that was a huge, huge shock and blessing. What an amazing group of women! Thank you again for putting us in touch with them. They were just awesome!
