From Sept. 24 to Oct. 2, TriWest Healthcare Alliance (TriWest) is partnering with Blue Star Families to promote Blue Star Welcome Week, a nationwide campaign to help Service members, military families and Veterans build a better sense of belonging and community wherever they live.
As Veterans, you understand firsthand the challenges that can surround a move or transition, including feelings of isolation, worry about making connections and difficulty fitting into a new community. Around 600,000 active duty and transitioning military families move each year into local neighborhoods. Blue Star Welcome Week aims to make sure those families feel welcomed and supported!
What can you do to support Welcome Week? Check out these easy ways any of us can make a difference:
- Review a checklist of 22 ways you can welcome a military family into your community.
- Download a “Welcome to ____________” sign and welcome military and Veteran connected families to a location you love. Print out the sign, fill in the blank, take a photo or video and share it on social media with #bluestarwelcomeweek.
We can also use this week to think of other ways we can make a difference in the lives of military and Veteran connected families. It’s easy to get caught up in our own day-to-day lives or struggles but taking a few minutes to reach out can make things better for everyone. Think about simple acts like introducing yourself and your family, sharing your own experiences and connecting other families to local resources and services you find helpful. The Blue Star Welcome Week page has specific ideas for Veterans, neighbors, organizations, businesses and Service members to get involved.
Blue Star Families is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting military and Veteran families in the communities where they live. Join Blue Star Families and TriWest as they try to ensure that wherever our families go, they always feel connected, supported and empowered to thrive. Together, we can make a big difference.