When it comes to military life, there is only one constant: change. With that constant upheaval comes the task of service members and their families trying to consistently integrate into new communities – and it’s overwhelming and exhausting. What is the best place to get a haircut? Or order a pizza? Or go for a long run? Military spouse Facebook groups can be great – but nothing beats an in-person suggestion – and welcome – from someone local.
With that in mind, Blue Star Families – an organization founded in 2009 to help support military families through connection – launched Blue Star Welcome Week, a celebration launched in 2020 intended to bridge the military-civilian divide and create a greater sense of belonging and community for everyone. This year, the event will take place from September 21 through 29 and serve as an opportunity to make families feel welcome in towns across the country where they may not know anyone.
With the latest reports of military recruitment struggles, improving the experiences of military families – especially spouses who often carry the weight of frequent moves and deployments – is more important than ever before.
According to Blue Star Families’ 2023 survey, only 41% of active-duty families feel connected to their local civilian communities, and with more than 600,000 military families moving annually and 70% living off base, it’s never been more important to create stronger, more inclusive communities.
This year’s event includes hundreds of events across the country that ensure service members and their families feel at home no matter where their duty takes them, such as welcome coffee events at Starbucks, informational career workshops for military spouses, and pop-up book fairs at local libraries. Better yet – finding events nearby is as simple as searching Blue Star’s interactive database.
In 2023, Welcome Week engaged 41,000 military families with 233 events in 151 communities, including four overseas, a 25% growth increase from 2022.
General Joseph Dunford and Ellyn Dunford, this year’s Blue Star Welcome Week honorary co-chairs, understand the ripple effect that comes with military families who are well-adjusted at their duty stations.
“The sooner and the better [military families] get integrated into the local community, the happier they are,” the Dunfords told Blue Star Families.
No one understands this more than a spouse in the throes of it, like Diana Jaramillo, a military spouse and mom of triplets, two with special needs. Through constant moves, daily obstacles of military life, and navigating the unique challenges of being a parent to special needs children, Jaramillo described the support she found through Blue Star Families’ New York Chapter “life-changing.”
How to help welcome a military family to your neighborhood
Want to help support military families in your town, but not sure where to start? Blue Star Families suggests:
Write a welcome letter with your top local picks and your contact information.
Assemble a themed new neighbor welcome box: garden basket with potted plants and seeds/bulbs, kitchen essentials, pet treats, kids activities, local gourmet items. Package with a custom gift tag.
Perform seasonal chores: cut the grass, weed the flower beds, rake the leaves, shovel snow from the driveway, hang holiday lights.
Share a meal: invite them over, order take-out, bake a casserole to freeze.
Give the spouse a break: invite the kids for a playdate, invite the adult out for grown-up only time, organize a sitter.
Welcome them to your holiday celebrations or offer a distraction during holiday seasons—these times can be particularly hard.
Surprise them with a cup of coffee and a kind word.
Provide backup on a sick day.
Pet sit: offer to watch or care for the family pet while the family is away.
Help with vehicle or home maintenance.
Phone, text, or send a handwritten note for no reason other than you care.