Survey Affirms 'Our Military Kids' Grants Enhance and Improve Lives

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Jul 27, 2023, 12:35 ET

Results show OMK-funded extracurricular activities significantly improve mental health, sense of community, academic success, and more for military children and teens.

OAKTON, Va., July 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Our Military Kids® (OMK), a national nonprofit providing extracurricular activity scholarships to military children and teens, today revealed research results that identify the significant and positive impact of extracurricular activities on military children and teens whose parent(s) are either deployed with the National Guard, deployed with the Reserve, or undergoing treatment for post-9/11, combat-related injuries.

An annual survey affirms that Our Military Kids activity grants positively impact not only children and teens but the entire family as well, improving service members' morale, promoting connection to local and military communities, and keeping children physically and mentally healthy.

According to the survey, which polled 1,150 families representing 2,150 children and teens who received OMK activity scholarships in 2022:

100% of families would recommend OMK to another military family;
95% of Combat Injured Program families saw a reduction in their child's psychological stress following the OMK-funded activity;
91% of Deployed Program families saw an improvement in their service member's own morale knowing their child received support from OMK.

"The data reinforces what we already knew from the countless stories we receive from families," said OMK Executive Director and U.S. Navy Veteran Kara Dallman. "Activity grants not only recognize the child for their own sacrifice but help improve their mental health and academic success, connect them with peers, mentors, and coaches, and give them the chance to just be kids during a critical time in their lives."

OMK received hundreds of anonymous testimonials at the conclusion of the survey. According to one beneficiary family, "Financial hardship can deprive any child of the chance to explore their love of new things. Without Our Military Kids, our boys wouldn't experience the joy of being children and experience a robotics class, Taekwondo, and multi-sports programs. You all remind us that a Veteran is never forgotten."

OMK has never turned away a single eligible child and has earned seven consecutive four-star ratings from Charity Navigator plus five GuideStar/Candid Platinum awards. Learn more and see the full survey report at: ourmilitarykids.org/survey

About Our Military Kids®

Our Military Kids recognizes the sacrifice of children of deployed National Guard, deployed Reserve, or post-9/11 combat wounded, ill, or injured Veterans by offering extracurricular activity grants that build children's self-confidence, enhance family wellness, and strengthen a shared sense of community. Since 2004, OMK has given more than 85,000 activity scholarships worth $32 million. Learn more at ourmilitarykids.org.

SOURCE Our Military Kids