Military Family and Support Group is working to promote a program called Hero Packs which will be distributed to the children of the National Guard who are deploying soon.
The Hero Packs are a youth led, adult supervised project that serves as tangible expressions of support for Military families from their communities and Operation Military Kid partners. The packs are filled by non-military youth and community organizations with mementos and items designed to help keep military kids connected with their deployed parent. The packs are also a way to hand-deliver a salute to military children and youth for their strength and sacrifices while parents are deployed.
The Hero Pack project involves local non-military youth groups and community organizations coming together to show support. The Hero Packs will be handed out to children of the National Guard who are deploying during a family meeting being held on April 10th.
Packs are being made for four different groups: Boys age 6 to 11, Boys 12 to 17, Girls age 6 to 11 and Girls 12 to 17. Extra Hero Packs are being made to give to counselors at area schools for those children not in the National Guard but that have a parent or sibling deployed and need to see the support from the community.
Hero Packs consist of three elements:
- Appreciation element which would be cards of support from our community for the child and for their parent or sibling who is deployed.
- Content element which could be stationery to write letters to their parent, a journal, pens, stuffed animal, stress ball, handheld games or just about anything you think a child would enjoy.
- Support element which we include different resources available to the children and their parents.
The public can help by donating items needed for these pack which can include: Disposable cameras, photo albums/scrapbooks, journals, pens, stationery, postage stamps, prepaid calling cards.
For more information, or to donate, please contact Joyce Leidig, Military & Family Support Group 325-784-5014 or 325-200-2162.