Deployments are difficult - especially for military children.
Operation Kid Comfort is a free program for military children to receive either a quilt or pillowcase (based on their age) with pictures of their deployed parent. This program is designed to comfort military children throughout the duration of a parent’s deployment and is open to any military child whose deployed parent is stationed in North or South Carolina.
With over 766,000 active duty children under the age of 12 living in military families, deployments are a reality for many military youth. These children have to face long periods of their parents being away, causing many to face emotional traumas due to separation and feelings of isolation. Often military children feel they must face these challenges alone, which can lead to emotional, behavioral, and poor academic outcomes.
Through Operation Kid Comfort, the Armed Services YMCA Fort Bragg aims to ease the pain of separation and provide support to military children. Being able to hug a deployed parent and see shared memories through photographs on the handmade blankets and pillowcases makes facing the challenges of deployment a little easier.
If you are a military family stationed in North or South Carolina with a deployed service member, you are eligible for this program.
We are always in need of volunteers to help prepare quilting kits for this program as we well as quilters to assemble quilts and blankets. If interested in participating, please contact Trinette at tslaughter@asymca.org or 910-436-0500.
