Make a Difference for Military Families in Your Co-op Community

Veterans Day, commemorated every November 11 in the USA, has been around since President Woodrow Wilson marked the first anniversary of the end of World War I in 1918 with an Armistice Day proclamation.

Seven years later, Congress formally recognized it with a resolution, and for more than 100 years, it’s been a day to recognize and honor those who’ve served. The timing before Thanksgiving and the winter holidays often triggers goodwill toward service members and a willingness to help.

But the needs of military families aren’t just seasonal. With nearly 3 million military and civilian personnel now on active duty across the nation’s six military services, support for them and their families continues year-round.

According to the Pentagon, more than a half million spouses and over one million children under age 18 are supported by active-duty military personnel. There are about 6,500 adult dependents, including the elderly and disabled, living in households headed by current service members.

While many military families live on or near large bases, various assignments—like recruiting, training, finance, and educational opportunities—can send them into unfamiliar communities for months or years.

Spouses, kids, and aging parents who go along on what the military calls a “Permanent Change of Station” are an important support system, but they can also face challenges fitting into new schools, finding jobs, and feeling at home.

“The best way to support military personnel and their families when it comes to their need for community is to be present,” a military chaplain recently told me. “Families need to know that you genuinely care about their well-being.”

The chaplain, an Army reservist, has handled numerous stateside assignments over the past decade. He not only spends time with service personnel but also helps dependents handle adjustments and cope with distance from their extended families.

“Actively listening to their needs and concerns and ensuring their needs are being met is a big deal,” said the young officer, adding that counseling displaced dependents is a big part of his job. “My main priority as a military chaplain is to ensure we are there for the whole family’s mental and emotional care.”

I recently reached out to groups dedicated to supporting military families to find out what they see as their greatest needs, and forging community connections was the most common response.

“Giving added support to military families helps strengthen our military,” says retired Lt. Col. Michelle Horn served 20 years in the Army and is now Vice President of Communications for the Fisher House Foundation.

Founded in 1990, Fisher House operates more than 100 Hospitality Houses worldwide, providing families with free lodging while service members are treated at military hospitals or VA facilities.

“Having family by one’s side during medical treatments has an incredible impact,” says Horn. “Our motto is ‘A Family’s Love is Good Medicine’ because we know that families are not optional—they are critical.”

Horn sees many areas where communities, regardless of size, can help. These include identifying full or part-time job opportunities for military spouses; donations to help kids participate in local sports and cultural activities; and sharing a list of community programs and services that are hard for newcomers to find.

Electric cooperatives can support military families by creating “Welcome Packets” tailored for newcomers, which include information on community resources, co-op services, and local job openings—especially valuable for military spouses seeking employment.

“Military families in remote locations are exactly the types of families that need to know about resources,” says Horn, adding that dependent families can include elders who may need extra help adjusting to new surroundings.

Such families can benefit from the same referrals that customer service representatives often share with local callers.

“Spreading the word through outreach efforts can mean the difference between getting the help a service member or dependent needs or not, because they may feel that costs make the care impossible,” Horn explains.

“A smile and a friendly voice can make all the difference in the world,” says Ruth Jones, Senior Director of Donor Engagement for Hope for the Warriors, a military family support organization founded in 2006.

The Jacksonville, North Carolina-based organization, which began serving families at the US Marine Corps’ Camp Lejeune, now works with more than 100 groups nationwide.

“We provide a ton of services, but one of our most important is virtual peer-to-peer support,” says Jones. “We have veterans who volunteer to just call and check in on service personnel and their families across the country.”

Many volunteers and staff are combat veterans who understand the challenges of transition to civilian life and the issues that arise for families during and after duty location changes, says Jones.

Hope for Warriors also has trained staff focused on civilian job preparation who can assist veterans and spouses with resume preparation and career counseling. “We would love for business leaders in small communities to seek out military veterans or military spouses for job openings,” says Jones. “Sometimes when the veteran returns unable to be the breadwinner, spouses step into a new role. There’s value in military spouses—they understand loyalty and hard work.”

Hosting community events or providing family assistance programs can help military families feel supported and welcomed. Co-ops could also collaborate with local organizations to offer resources on counseling, educational support, and seasonal activities for military families.

While groups working with military families often see a healthy bump in financial support as businesses and individuals make year-end donations, their most ardent supporters also encourage ‘legacy donations,’ included in estate planning.

Jones adds that support can be as simple as cheering on kids at school events, especially for veterans who avoid crowds while adjusting to civilian life. “Maybe mom or dad can’t come to their kids’ sports or school events because noise and crowds are too stressful for them,” Jones explains.

A military chaplain friend of mine has seen the benefits of community support among the families he’s been called to counsel. “Do everything you can to make families feel that their service and sacrifice for our country are appreciated,” he says. “My main priority as a military chaplain is to ensure we’re there for the whole family’s mental and emotional care. That can help lighten the load for the service member and make a temporary home feel welcoming.”