Community Outreach, Committee Spotlight
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Community Outreach, Committee Spotlight
In this month of thanks and giving, the MPI Potomac Community Outreach Committee would like to give thanks to our military families. November is Military Family Appreciation Month, a time to honor the life and service of military families who work behind the scenes to support our country’s servicemen and servicewomen.
Read on for the story of a chapter member and her connection to an extraordinary nonprofit organization.
Member Story – Cheri Fairchild
Cheri Fairchild is an active member of the MPI Potomac Chapter and part of a long line of military service. Cheri’s husband and brother are retired Navy while her uncle and stepfather are both retired Air Force. Service remains a huge part of their lives. Her husband re-enlisted and is now active duty. Cheri likened her husband’s deployment to the hospitality industry traveling to meetings. She says, “Your household has to learn to operate without you.” Military families have to figure out ways to keep the household whole. Whether that means meal planning, bedtime routines or school drop-offs, they adapt in many different ways. Cheri shared that having access to resources and a strong community makes all the difference when navigating a life of service. To quote Cheri, “Service is a privilege, and we would not give up the opportunity to serve.”
Kids are often forgotten when we talk about the sacrifices military families make during a deployment. Service members have a tough time leaving their kids behind, and kids know the stress they’re feeling is real. Cheri found one nonprofit, Our Military Kids, extremely helpful to her daughter during this tough period.
Our Military Kids serves children who have a parent deployed with the National Guard, deployed with the Reserve or recovering from severe combat injuries. This special organization provides grants for kids ages 3 to 18 to support their participation in extracurricular activities, key to reducing stress and increasing their sense of community. The young people find friends and mentors and benefit from the emotional and physical release extracurricular activities often provide. We spoke with Kara Dallman, a retired Navy veteran, military spouse of 22 years, and executive director of Our Military Kids. When asked how we can support the organization, Kara said, “If you know of a National Guard family or Reserve family in the community, please make them aware of the program. So many people don’t know this resource is available, and spreading the word about the availability of this grant is the best gift they could receive.” So this November, let’s spread the word and send thanks to all our military families!
Written by:
Tracy Cooper, MPIP Community Outreach Committee co-chair
CEO/principal consultant, Planner AuthoriTEA
Andrea McFadden, MPIP Community Outreach Committee member
National sales director, Long Beach CVB
