November 11^th is Veterans Day, a national holiday where Americans remember the soldiers who dedicated their lives to serving their country. While it is very important to honor the memory of our soldiers, it is also important to remember the families who supported these soldiers.

Every day spouses, children, and parents are forced to say goodbye to their loved ones when they are deployed. These families must try to maintain life as usual. They may even have to settle into new communities where they do not receive critical familiar and local support during this difficult time. Although these families experience high levels of stress while their loved ones are deployed, life can be just as difficult when they return due to injury or mental illness.

November 11^th is not only a great opportunity for your community or organization to honor those citizens who dedicated their lives to serving their communities, but also to those family members who dedicated their lives to supporting their veterans. Military families may find difficulty finding childcare, locating good schools, scheduling doctor’s appointments, and maintaining a home.

These families need support while their loved ones are away and even when they return. These needs can easily be met through the work of communities, organizations, and volunteers. Volunteers can be both a resource for help but also as a source of support for these families. The following are a few suggestions to get your community involved in assisting these families during not only Veterans Day, but also year round.

• Complete a Create The Good project where you can help military families with handy work around the house, babysitting, or preparing a meal.
• Host card signing parties during holidays such as Christmas or Valentines Day where every guest can make a card thanking a family for all they do.
• You can organize a recurring sports game for military families. Meetup.com is a great resource to spread the word about your event.
• Organize a moms day away from kids event where you can offer babysitting services to military moms who need to run errands and spend time away from the kids.
• You can find all sorts of service projects to help out military families such as doing yard work through Joining Forces.
• Encourage your local representatives to honor military families on Veterans Days as well
• Contact your local newspaper’s editor about spotlighting local families and outreach events

President Obama has stated that all military will return before the year is over. Military families need support during this emotional time. You can help them at all levels. It is important to honor their presence in your community and all the dedication they offer to their loved ones.

Know a family or have an idea about recognition? We would love to hear about it, share your comments below.