Milkidz Club

August is the height of the PCS season. Thousands of military kids around the world are packing up, saying their goodbyes, and preparing to face the challenges of settling into a new home, enrolling in a new school, and making new friends.

Blue Star Families’ MilKidz Club is a place that eases their transition. Whether in-person or virtually, MilKidz Club members share a common bond and understand the unique challenges inherent with life as a military child. Like their parents who took an oath to serve, our MilKidz Club members are making a difference in their communities. First up: 9/11 remembrance projects:

Send a Letter of Appreciation http://www.bluestarfam.org/system/storage/42/41/9/1183/Operation_Appreciation_Information_Packet_Official_FINAL_7-13-2012.pdf

Operation Appreciation is a perfect service project for businesses, community organizations, youth groups, church groups, classrooms (K-12). Through this inventive program, participants send words of appreciation and support to military members and their families both overseas and on the homefront.

Honor Their Service With Yours
(http://joiningforces.allforgood.org/)
Through Operation Honor cards, you can honor service members and their families with service of your own. Select a volunteer opportunity in your community to honor service members, veterans and military families. If you're already volunteering in your community, you can dedicate your service to honor the service of the military community.

Host a New Book Book Drive
(http://www.bluestarfam.org/Programs/Books_on_Bases)
Books on Bases is a program created by Blue Star Families in conjunction with Kids in Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.) to positively impact the lives of military children through the power of reading.  Hold a new book book drive, then make a donation to military children, base libraries, Department of Defense schools, and military-impacted public schools.

Show Your Appreciation, BIG
(http://www.generationon.org/kids/project/freedom-banners)
generationOn is the global youth service movement igniting the power of all kids to make their mark on the world. Show your appreciation of veterans by making banners thanking them for keeping America free.

Clean up!
http://www.generationon.org/kids/project/playground-cleanup
Collect garbage at your local playground so everyone can have safe, clean fun!

Kids Care Clubs (http://kidscare.org/)
GenerationOn Kids Care Clubs started in 1990 with the mission of developing compassion and inspiring a spirit of volunteering in elementary and middle school children. The clubs are led by an adult facilitator and implement meaningful hands-on service projects, locally, nationally and globally. Here are some service projects designed specifically for 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance:

• Black Out Boxes - Make Black Out Boxes for seniors, for homeless families or for your own family. This box contains all you need when the lights go out. (http://www.kidscare.org/clubcentral/projects/black-out-boxes)
• Celebrate Kids with HeART – Create cards or banners for local firefighters, police, and first responders to thank them for their service. Cards or banners can be created in honor of, or in remembrance of those who died on September 11, 2001. (http://www.kidscare.org/clubcentral/projects/celebrate-kids-heart)
• Disaster Preparedness Kits - September is National Preparedness Month – read how your club can create Disaster Preparedness Kits for their families and others in these two Kids Care Projects: National Preparedness Month and Be Safe, In the Know and Ready to Go. (http://www.kidscare.org/clubcentral/projects/be-safe-know-and-ready-go)
• Operation Kids Care – Words for the Wounded - Reach out to service personnel and their families who are being treated in American hospitals. http://www.kidscare.org/clubCentral/projects/caringcollection/operation/words
• United We Serve http://www.serve.gov/index.asp  United We Serve is a nationwide service initiative that helps meet growing social needs resulting from the economic downturn. Serve.gov is an online resource for not only finding volunteer opportunities in your community, but also creating your own.