1. Involve Your Church<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
One\u2019s church family plays a large role in encouraging them through trying times. When one\u2019s parent or spouse is in the military, the church should rally together in support of the family left behind. There are a few different ways in which the church can band together to support these families. These can include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Start a meal train<\/li>
- Collect donations for the family<\/li>
- Recognize military members in your church services<\/li>
- You can all collaborate to achieve the rest of the items on our list<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
2. Display a Flag<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It warms the hearts of military members and their families to drive past homes and see a display of gratitude in their front yard. Consider putting out a flag not only on Independence and Veteran\u2019s day; keep yours out all year. By doing this, you show your support and recognition is not limited to a designated holiday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Give Parents a Break<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The spouses of military members must act as a single parent when their loved one is deployed. Between caring for children and keeping up with the household chores, they\u2019re likely to become exhausted. A small gesture on your part can mean a lot to an overwhelmed parent. Offer to babysit their children so that they can have a night away from home, or come over and simply do some chores while they sit down and rest for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Donate in Their Name<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It means a lot when anyone makes the decision to support a charity, but for those with loved ones in the military, you can show your support by donating money to a charity that specifically supports them. When you make your next donation, pick one that focuses on service members, or do it in the name of a military family. You can also do this for a charity you know means something to the family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Send a Care Package<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Care packages offer a beautiful, as well as meaningful, way to show love and support. You can create one to send to the military member themselves as they serve abroad, or you can send one to their family. Keep in mind that these packages don\u2019t have to be fancy or expensive. Those who serve overseas often crave the simplest pleasures. Something such as a chocolate bar or their favorite kind of cookie can brighten their entire week. When you put this package together, make sure you also include a meaningful note of gratitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. Care for Their Children<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
We don\u2019t always realize the ways in which children can feel left out when they have a parent serving in the military. Schools will often host certain events that a child with a parent serving in the military may feel as though they can\u2019t participate in. No child should feel left out in these events, so consider stepping up and acting as a stand in for their parent for a day. They\u2019ll have the ability to experience a sense of normalcy that may not be incredibly common for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7. Pay for Their Food<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Do you see a military member or their family when out for dinner or a cup of coffee? If you do, consider anonymously paying for their meal. This simple show of gratitude will stay with them long after they finish their meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
8. Include Them<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
We mentioned above the idea of acting as a stand-in parent for military children to ensure they don\u2019t feel left out. This is something you can do for the entire family. If you have plans to spend the night out, don\u2019t forget to extend an invitation to a military spouse. Don\u2019t automatically assume they don\u2019t want to be invited along to couple outings. Reach out and ask them whether or not they\u2019d want to join you. They may feel unwelcome in couple events, and you should make sure to let them know that this isn\u2019t the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
9. Offer an Ear<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s important to reach out to military family members and ask if they just want to talk. It doesn\u2019t cost you anything to sit down, or pick up a phone, to give military family members an outlet. They need to know that someone can hear them, and sometimes, it helps to just vocalize what\u2019s going on inside their head. Let those you know who are in any way involved in the military that you\u2019re there to listen any time they need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
10. Offer Discounts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you own a small business, consider offering discounts to military members\u2019 families. Many businesses don\u2019t take family members into account when creating discounts, but many families can positively benefit from this option. If you own any type of eatery, offer somewhere around 5% off of meals for the families of military members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
11. Recognize Retirement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There will come a time at last when a military member retires and gets to settle back in with their family. When this happens, band together with your community to create an event that celebrates their return and thanks them for the sacrifices they made for our country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other service members, such as police officers and firemen, will often join in on the event and make a sort of parade for the returning hero. Serve the military member\u2019s favorite food and see if a local bakery will contribute a cake. While at the event, present them with a\u00a0military retirement plaque<\/a>\u00a0they can display in their home to remind them of their heroic service. Know your appreciation shouldn\u2019t end once the event is over and they\u2019ve settled into their retirement, though. Make sure your local veteran is forever recognized for their service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s impossible for those without a family member in the military to fully understand the impact military service has on an entire family. Military families need our support as they navigate the trials that come with the selflessness their loved one exhibits when they make the decision to protect our country. As many of us know, November is recognized as Military Appreciation Month, with the 11th being designated as Veterans Day. We should take this month, as well as all of the others in the year, to recognize the families of those who serve in the military. We created a list […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":354,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crystalcentral.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crystalcentral.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crystalcentral.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crystalcentral.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crystalcentral.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=352"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.crystalcentral.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":356,"href":"https:\/\/www.crystalcentral.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352\/revisions\/356"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crystalcentral.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/354"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crystalcentral.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crystalcentral.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crystalcentral.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}