Making Military Life Easier | The Armed Services YMCA of the USA » Children’s Programs

Operation Kid Comfort

ASYMCA — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:18:34 +0000

Operation Kid Comfort creates custom-made quilts for children of deployed military personnel who experience grief from missing their mom or dad.

Created in 2004 at Ft. Bragg/Pope Air Force Base in Fayetteville, N.C., ASYMCA’s Operation Kid Comfort is designed to address the emotional stress that children of military personnel suffer during a parent’s absence from home, providing free quilts for children ages 6 and under and pillows for children ages 7 and older. To date, the program has made more than 6,000 quilts for children of deployed parents.

9/11 National Day of Service

Greater DC Cares, the leading and largest coordinator of volunteerism in the region, chose Operation Kid Comfort as the flagship service event for its 9/11 National Day of Service events. As the banner event, more than 200 volunteers created dozens of quilts for children all over the country.

Click here for more information, to request a quilt or to volunteer.

Student Art & Essay Contest

ASYMCA — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:15:04 +0000

The annual ASYMCA Art and Essay Contest is officially launched every November and is open to all eligible children of U.S. active duty or retired service members. Winners are chosen the following Spring.

Winners of both the art and essay contests have their winning entries displayed in a number of locations in the Washington, D.C., area, including in the Russell Rotunda, and are recognized at an annual luncheon on Capitol Hill. ASYMCA awards U.S. Savings bonds totaling $7,600 to 1st and 2nd place winners of both contests, as well as honorable mention recipients of the essay contest.

Click here for more information.

Operation Hero

ASYMCA — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:42:59 +0000

One of ASYMCA’s keystone programs is Operation Hero, a program that aids children from six to 12 years of age who are experiencing temporary difficulty in school, both socially and academically. Often these difficulties are caused by frequent moves and family disruption due to deployments. Referred by teachers, parents or school officials, the semester-long program provides after-school tutoring and mentoring assistance in a small group with certified teachers. Operation Hero facilitates a positive environment, encourages responsible behavior, and gets children back on track in school, both academically and socially.

Click here for more information.