Blue Star Families Kicks Off Inaugural Welcome Week on September 28th for Thousands of Military Families Adapting to New Duty Stations, Homes, Schools, and Communities Across the Country

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Star Families (BSF), a non-profit dedicated to supporting military families and strengthening communities across the United States, will launch their inaugural Welcome Week from September 28, 2020 to October 2, 2020. For a full week, Blue Star Families is providing fun and creative opportunities for military families to meet and engage with members of their new community to help ease their transition and create a greater sense of belonging in their new home.

As thousands of military families set out to move to a new duty station in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, typical transition challenges such as adapting to a new home, school, and community have significantly grown. Welcome Week is designed to alleviate transition challenges and support families with opportunities to participate in events including messages of welcome and appreciation from Blue Star Families members across the country, special events and giveaways, and spotlights on local favorites from military families & Blue Star Neighbors.

"With the launch of the first-ever Blue Star Welcome Week, we want the families who serve our country to know that they have support from their communities during this historically difficult year," said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families. "Fall is a time when thousands of service members receive their new duty assignments, and families work to overcome the many challenges that come with moving to a new home. Welcome Week is an opportunity for military families to start off right – to connect with people, places, and experiences in new communities, to get to know your neighbors, and to have some fun."

Each year, Blue Star Families conducts the annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey (aMFLS), the largest, most comprehensive survey of its kind, which acts as a listening tool for military families to sound off on what is and what is not working for them. Data from the 2019 aMFLS shows that 40% of military family member respondents do not feel a sense of belonging to their local civilian community. Blue Star Welcome Week addresses this by creating opportunities for community engagement that bring together community supporters, everyday civilian neighbors, and military families to help build stronger, integrated connections that help ease the stress of frequent moves. Blue Star Welcome Week is supported by partners including CSX, CJM Foundation, Leonardo DRS, Tramiel Charitable Trust, Humana, dozens of community small businesses, nonprofit partner organizations, and more. Support from corporate sponsors, private foundations, and individual donors sustains Blue Star Families and their mission of strengthening America's military families through communities by offering programs and services at 11 chapter locations across the country.  

To learn more about Blue Star Families Welcome Week events and opportunities, as well as a local favorites map showcasing parks, restaurants, and shops across the country, please visit bluestarfam.org/welcome-week. 

About Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families builds communities that support military families by connecting research and data to programs and solutions, including career development tools, local community events for families, and caregiver support. Since its inception in 2009, Blue Star Families has engaged tens of thousands of volunteers and serves more than 1.5 million military family members nationwide. With Blue Star Families, military families can find answers to their challenges anywhere they are. For more information, visit bluestarfam.org follow us on Facebook (@BlueStarFamilies) or Twitter (@BlueStarFamily).

SOURCE Blue Star Families

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