Our Military Kids – helping children of deployed and injured soldiers

In the spirit of being a part of the online military community, this blog will spread the word about other military family inspired programs and initiatives.

I could not have said it better myself than what they have already written.

Comfort. Stability. Routine. Fun!
All children need these ingredients to thrive but especially those who have a parent deployed in military service to our country or recovering from injury at home.
Along with the sacrifice of having a parent away in service for months at a time, many Guard and Reserve families are so financially stretched they cannot afford the fees for sports, fine arts, or tutoring programs so crucial to their children’s sense of well-being. Children of severely injured service members face similar financial difficulties along with the challenges of learning to adapt to the physical, mental, and emotional changes in a loved one. Our Military Kids, founded in 2004, stepped in to fill these gaps with a simple grant program that pays for children’s activities. Eligible families apply for a grant and within days of receipt in the Our Military Kids office, a packet is sent to the child thanking them for their service to our country and notifying them of the award, then a check is sent directly to the service provider.  Our Military Kids helps families who often fall outside the parameters of established support programs – the families of National Guard and Reserve service men and women who have been and are continuing to sacrifice so much for our country. Working with a team of volunteers, a dedicated staff, Board of Directors and Advisory Board, Our Military Kids has distributed grants to children in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and most U.S. territories. From its pilot program in March 2005 in Winchester, Virginia, Our Military Kids has extended its reach to families nationwide.
Our Military Kids provides tangible support to children of deployed National Guard and Reserve personnel as well as to children of severely injured service members through grants for enrichment activities and tutoring. Such activities help these children cope with the stress of having a parent in a war zone or recovering from injury at home. Our Military Kids grants are made to honor the sacrifices that military families make and to ensure that their children have access to sports, fine arts, or academic tutoring programs.