Woman’s Day Reader Donations Top 1.5 Million Dollars to Bring Holiday Joy To Our Troops
BRINGING HOLIDAY JOY TO OUR TROOPS
Woman’s Day and the Armed Services YMCA’s Operation Holiday Joy
Total Amount Raised to Date by Woman’s Day Readers Since 2004:
$1,585,979.68
Over 9,000 Individual Donors
On behalf of the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) National Board of Directors, the staff and most importantly the young men and women who serve our country and their families, I extend sincere thanks to Woman’s Day and its readership for supporting Operation Holiday Joy. Woman’s Day readership has contributed over $1.5 million dollars to Operation Holiday Joy in just 9 years. In addition, to maximize the number of families served, the ASYMCA donates all the staff time and overhead associated with running Operation Holiday Joy. The generosity and unwavering support shown from Woman’s Day readership has allowed the ASYMCA to purchase and distribute over 1600 pallets of toys (over 320,000 toys) as well as deliver over 25,000 baskets of food at Thanksgiving and Christmas to junior enlisted families in need.
These young heroes and their families are voluntarily serving and sacrificing daily so we can continue to enjoy our freedoms and way of life. The generosity shown from Woman’s Day readership demonstrates an appreciation for the sacrifices required of these dedicated defenders of our country.
From all of us here at the Armed Services YMCA, thank you for helping make military life easier.
To see thank you notes from military families impacted by this great program, please pick up the May 2013 issue of Woman’s Day Magazine.
Mike Landers
Captain, USN (Ret.)
President/CEO
Request a Quilt-Operation Kid Comfort
The Armed Services YMCA’s Operation Kid Comfort Program
Creating comfort through free custom-made quilts for children of deployed military personnel
Created in 2004 at Ft. Bragg/Pope Air Force Base in Fayetteville, N.C., the Armed Services YMCA’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 (although the Armed Services YMCA does do quilts for wheelchair bound and special needs military children, please specify on your application if needed). To date, the program has made more than 20,000 quilts for children of deployed parents through participating branches and our online service for active-duty families who are not near a participating branch. Each quilt takes eight hours of volunteer time and about $50 worth of materials and postage. Your online donation today can help more military children cope with deployment, please note Operation Kid Comfort on the donation form to support more military children. Thank you!
Click here for more information, to request a quilt or to volunteer.
DoD Military Outreach Initiative
Information and Guidelines on Free YMCA and Private Fitness Memberships for Eligible Military and their Families
The Armed Services YMCA has partnered with the Department of Defense (DoD) on a $31-million initiative to provide eligible military families and active duty personnel with access to youth development, family strengthening, and health and well-being programs through memberships at community YMCAs nationwide. Membership fees are underwritten by the DoD.
The ASYMCA-DoD Outreach Initiative responds to a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008, which requires the Secretary of Defense to develop a plan to support military family readiness and to ensure that military family readiness programs and activities are available to all military families, including those of the National Guard and Military Reservists. Due to the success and popularity of the program, the program has been extended thru 2013.
Here is a recent thank you note from an Army spouse on how the YMCA | DoD Initiative with Armed Services YMCA has made a lasting impact on her Military Family:
My name is Julie and I’m a mother of 2 girls age 4 & 10 and when their father was deployed overseas to serve in Iraq for a 12 month deployment I decided to move from Southern California to my moms in Oregon so me and my daughters wouldn’t be alone. This was the 3rd time my husband would be gone within a 3 year time span, and I was tired of being left all alone in southern California. After moving in with my mom, I began looking for new activities to do with my daughters and make new friends. I learned at a yellow ribbon pre deployment event that the YMCA had a military outreach program available to the families of deployed soldiers, so that’s where I went. I came to the Salem Family YMCA about a 15 mile drive from my hometown and signed up for my free membership in December of 2010. I have been involved in the fitness industry for the last 10 years, I have been to many gyms, been a fitness trainer as well as a health club manager. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that all the group classes offered by Y, we’re included at no extra charge and childcare was included in my free family membership which was a complete blessing because I was now a “single” parent and greatly needed this service. What I loved about the Y was the overall feel of the gym itself, it’s layout of 3 stories make it so it never feels crowded and it is NOT your typical meat market atmosphere. I never felt this comfortable before at a gym, and After taking some classes I was so pleased to find that the instructors, trainers and staff were so welcoming and supportive and started to know me by name. I felt for the first time that I belonged to a new family………my Y family! I have never had such a supportive and friendly group of gym staff at any other gym in my life, and I have been a member of many gyms and health clubs. I began to have my own success with weight loss and a new healthier life. And to make things even better they offer so many sports classes and activities for children at a very reasonable cost, my daughters were both able to enjoy many activities because of these wonderful programs which were crucial to us for keeping my daughters busy and motivated so they wouldn’t be so focused on missing their dad. This benefit has been the most wonderful gift that my family has been offered as part of my husbands service to our country. We have been given many benefits to help the single parent and children left behind when the other parent is away serving, and this military outreach program has been the most beneficial, and enriching activity my family had been given during this difficult and challenging time in our life. It is amazing to feel like a part of the family when I come to workout and in turn I have become a happier and healthier army wife.
I particularly wanted to thank your trainer/instructor Tina, she has gone above and beyond to help assist me with advice and support that I would of never expected! I’m sure many people pay alot of money to have that kind of support from such an experienced professional. Not only has she given me tons of advice, but she remembers and welcomes me EVERYTIME she sees me! She is worth her weight in gold! My husband is home but is now in the wounded warrior program because of his injuries he sustained on active duty. He now attends the Y with me.
- An Army Family shares why they are grateful this program continues, September 2012.
Student Art & Essay Contest
2013 Guidelines are now available!
The Annual Armed Services YMCA 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 at 33 Armed Services YMCA Branches and Affiliate Locations, as well as military bases worldwide during Military Family Month in November.
The 2013 Guidelines – download the Packet Here ( Update 2/19/13- the Coloring Contest is now closed, but military children can still apply for the Essay Contest, thank you!)
Military Family Month 2012
Military Family Month
November 2012
Military Family Month was established in 1993 by the Armed Services YMCA, with the U.S. Government recognizing the occasion every year since. President Barack Obama proclaimed November 2009 as Military Family Month, calling on all Americans to honor military families through private actions and public service for the tremendous contributions they make in the support of our service members and our Nation. 2012 will be the 18th year that the United States of America recognizes the service and sacrifices of our Military Families. Scroll down to see the full proclamation by President Barack Obama for Military Family Month 2012.
Click here for more information on our Annual Art and Essay Contest
Here are a few tips from the Armed Services YMCA on how you can help Military Families this November:
For Military Families
- Bring comfort to military children with the free photo quilt program for children of deployed with Operation Kid Comfort.
- See if your Military Family is eligible for a free YMCA or Private Fitness membership through the YMCA- DoD Initiative with the Armed Services YMCA.
- Watch for the free Sears Heroes at Home Registry Sign ups, for free gift cards for Military Families. Signups usually happen in Late Fall. Click here for their webpage.
- Connect with your children with a free taping of a service member reading a book to their child with United through Reading.
- Enjoy Family Bonding at your local SeaWorld Theme Park, which offers free admission for Military Families thru their Heroes Program valid at SeaWorld Orlando, San Diego, or San Antonio, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay or Williamsburg, Sesame Place, Water Country USA, and Adventure Island. Click here for more information.
- Is Money tight? Check out the Navy- Marine Corps Relief Society for no interest $300 Loans, no questions asked, just for Military Families, so that they can avoid the pitfalls of Payday Lenders. Click here for information on their Quick Assist Loan.
- Want to use your GI Bill for you or your Military Family? Do you know about the Yellow Ribbon Program, where many Private Schools offer grants to cover the costs not covered by the GI Bill, and can match the same rate as public institutions? The program enables more Military Families to be able to attend the school of their dreams. Click here to see a list of participating schools for 2012-2013.
- Check out the new book geared at Military Children called ” Little Champs”, free at participating USOS, to help young children cope with the challenges of military life.
For Community Members
- Visit a neighbor who has a loved one serving and bring a thank you card or baked good.
- Create a Spouse Care Package with items that would help a spouse stress less during a deployment.
- Thank an Active-Duty Member, Veteran, Military Spouse or Child for their service.
- Visit war memorials with your family to teach your children the value of service.
- Fly the U.S. Flag.
- Make a donation or volunteer with a military assistance organization like the Armed Services YMCA (www.asymca.org)
- Try to make military life easier with a note of gratitude, homemade dinner, or free tickets to a fun local event for military families or veterans in your community.
- Seek out Military Families in your Service Clubs, Places of Worship and Athletic Teams to see how you can support and recognize your local Military Families.
- Offer a military discount to Military and their families on a good or service.
News on Military Family Month 2012
2012 Proclamation from President Barack Obama:
“Since our Nation’s earliest days, courageous men and women of all backgrounds and beliefs have banded together to fight for the freedoms we cherish. Behind each of them stands a parent, a sibling, a child, a spouse — proud family members who share the weight of deployment and make profound sacrifices on behalf of our country. During Military Family Month, we honor our military families and recommit to showing them the fullest care and respect of a grateful Nation.
“In our military families, we see the best our country has to offer. They demonstrate the virtues that have made America great for more than two centuries and the values that will preserve our greatness for centuries to come. With loved ones serving far from home, military spouses take on the work of two. Their children show courage and resilience as they move from base to base, school to school, home to home. And even through the strain of deployment, military families strengthen the fabric of each community they touch and enrich our national life as shining examples of patriotism.
“We each have a solemn duty to serve our Armed Forces and their families as well as they serve us. Through First Lady Michelle Obama’s and Dr. Jill Biden’s Joining Forces initiative, we have worked to fulfill this obligation by mobilizing all Americans to give service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned. Last year, we challenged American businesses to hire or train 100,000 veterans and military spouses by the end of 2013. To date, they have already exceeded that challenge, hiring over 125,000 veterans and military spouses. From helping military children succeed in the classroom to increasing support for those who care for our wounded warriors, Joining Forces will keep fighting to ensure the well-being of our troops and their families.
“When a young woman signs up to defend our Nation, her parents are enlisted as well. When a father deploys to a combat zone, his children are called to serve on the home front. And when the men and women of our military serve far from home, their families feel the strain of their absence. In that absence, let us stand together as one American family. Let us honor the brave patriots who keep our country safe, and let us forever hold close the memories of those who have perished in the line of duty. This month, we reaffirm that we will always lift up our military families — not just when their loved ones are away, but also long after the welcome home ceremonies are over.
“NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2012 as Military Family Month. I call on all Americans to honor military families through private actions and public service for the tremendous contributions they make in support of our service members and our Nation.”
Operation Hero
The Armed Services YMCA’s award winning Operation Hero Program is an after-school program targets children ages 6 to 12 years of age who have been identified by school personnel and parents as exhibiting low self esteem, or difficultly adjusting both academically and socially in the school environment. Often these difficulties are caused by frequent moves and family disruption due to deployments. Curriculum is designed to help children handle the challenges of military life, provide tools to help them succeed in school, and help develop a positive self-image while improving social and communication skills.
Military Families interested in the program can contact their local ASYMCA branch to see if they are currently running a program at their child’s school. Program sites are determined by a current ASYMCA presence, an invitation by the school to host the program, a need for the free program as determined by the teacher as well as the parent, along with available private funding and donations for staff and materials.
Operation Outdoors- Camping Scholarships
Click here to learn more about the $200,000 donation by the Newman’s Own Foundation for 2013
“ The impact this funding will have on our military families and their children is immeasurable. These funds will provide hundreds of military children with learning and bonding opportunities, coping mechanisms to help them deal with the challenges of military life, as well as memories that will last a lifetime” – Mike Landers, President and CEO
Over the past four years, over 20,566 military children and their parents have received a camping experience thanks to generous grants from the Sierra Club, Newman’s Own, and other generous donors like the PenFed Foundation.
Overnight, day or specialty camps at the Y share one thing: they’re about discovery. Military children have the opportunity to explore nature, find new talents, try new activities, gain independence, and make lasting friendships and memories. And, of course, it’s fun too.
Camping, like many Armed Services Y programs, is about learning skills, developing character and making friends. But few environments are as special as camp, where kids become a community as they learn both how to be more independent and how to contribute to a group as they engage in physical, social and educational activities. Camping teaches self-reliance, a love for nature and the outdoors, and the development of attitudes and practices that build character and leadership—all amidst the fun of camp fires, bugle calls, canoeing, archery, talent shows, and meaningful relationships. Armed Services Y counselors are dedicated to making sure camp is an amazing experience for every camper.
We have more than 130 years of experience in providing a safe, thriving environment for young military children to explore personal interests, build self-esteem, develop interpersonal skills, discover the creativity and health benefits of the outdoors, cope with the challenges of military life, and make lasting friendships and memories.
Operation Holiday Joy
The holidays can be an especially trying time for the families or our service members currently deployed overseas. As hundreds of thousands of military families await their loved ones’ return, it’s our job to make their days a little brighter and their holiday season a little more joyous.
ASYMCAand Woman’s Day magazine, in partnership with the Military Channel, partner every November (Military Family Month) to sponsor Operation Holiday Joy, a national holiday drive to raise money for military families in need. All donations are used to purchase toys and holiday food baskets for military families in need. The drive has resulted in contributions totaling more than $720,000 from more than 6,900 generous donors.
