SOLDIER & FAMILY TOOLKIT 1/34 ARMORED BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM Volume 26, May 2014
Waves of Honor Program Page 4
STAR Families Resilience Training Page 13
“Healthy Money Habits” Page 15
The Travel Issue 1
IN THIS ISSUE 3 BEYOND THE YELLOW RIBBON EVENTS & DEALS 4 WAVES OF HONOR 5 DISNEY TICKETS 6 MWR RESORTS 8 YOUTH CAMPS 9 MIRACLE LODGE 10 GUNFLINT LODGE 11 NORTH COUNTRY LODGE 12 OUTWARD BOUND 13 STAR FAMILY EVENT 14 NATIONAL MILITARY APPRECIATION MONTH 15 HEALTHY MONEY HABITS 16 RESOURCE LINKS 17 FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTERS “LIKE” 133RD AIRLIFT WING PASSENGER TERMINAL ON FACEBOOK TO LEARN ABOUT SPACE AVAILABLE FLIGHTS 2
The intent of this toolkit is to provide you with available events, deals, resources, and important information. Please take a few minutes to glance at these resources and visit a few sites!
HOME FRONT EVENTS & DEALS www.BeyondTheYellowRibbon.org Check out the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon website and sign up for exclusive email updates on monthly local Beyond the Yellow Ribbon events and deals. Stars on Ice - Special Offer for Military Families When: May 4, 4 p.m. Offer expires on April 25, 2014 Where: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul About: Meryl Davis and Charlie White returned from the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, with the United States’ first ice dancing gold medal in history. Stars on Ice, featuring Davis and White along with their bronze medal winning teammates from the inaugural Olympic figure skating team event, will visit Saint Paul on Sunday, May 4 for a 4 p.m. performance at Xcel Energy Center. More Info: Website A Tribute to Women Veterans When: May 10 5:30 p.m. Women veterans get together 7 p.m. A Tribute to Freedom concert Where: North Heights Lutheran Church, Arden Hills Campus About: A tribute to recognize and honor women veterans and Servicemembers for their service and sacrifice, and connect them with available resources. More Info: Flyer Tool Expo for NCSRCC Union Carpenters & Veterans When: May 14, 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Where: Carpenters Local Union 322 Training Center, St. Paul About: Current National Guard Servicemembers and veterans who are interested in a carpentry career and/or joining the Carpenters Union, are invited to attend the Carpenter Expo, hosted by the Twin Cities Apprenticeship Committee. More Info: Flyer Website Joining Community Forces - Minnesota Meeting When: May 17, 8 a.m. Where: University of Minnesota, Duluth About: You are cordially invited to Joining Community Forces Minnesota. The goal of JCF-MN is to collaborate and synchronize community resources to support veterans, Servicemembers and their families. This will be accomplished by educating the participants on federal, state and community resources. More Info:Save the Date,AgendaandHow to Register
Old Glory Run When: May 17, 2014 Where: Cold Spring Baseball Park, Cold Spring About: The Old Glory 5K Run/Walk is for everyone at all levels of running and walking. By simply participating, you are showing that you support our troops, veterans, and our freedom. More Info: Flyer Free Drop-In Legal Clinic for Veterans When: May 22, 2014 Where: American Legion, West Duluth, Post 71 About: The Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans invites you to participate in a free drop-in legal clinic. The legal clinic will cover child support and family, employment, benefits, expungement, debt collection, and wills. More Info: Flyer Memorial Service Honoring our Vietnam era Veterans When: May 26, 11 a.m. Where: Chester Bird American Legion, Golden Valley About: Please join the Chester Bird American Legion for a memorial service honoring our Vietnam era veterans. All veterans, family, and the public are invited to this very important event. More Info: Flyer Memorial Day Parade and Memorial Service When: May 26, 9:30 a.m. Where: Parade will travel along Southview Blvd, South Saint Paul About: The South St. Paul American Legion and VFW will sponsor a Memorial Day parade on Monday, May 26. Following the parade, a memorial service will be conducted at 10:15 a.m. around the Veterans Monument in Oak Hill Cemetery. More Info: Flyer
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MILITARY YOUTH CAMPS Camp Gratitude A weeklong, rustic camping experience for military families with children between ages 5-11 who have experienced deployment in the past three years. The 2012 Camp Gratitude event will be held at the Veterans Camp Ground on Big Marine Lake. Because of increased popularity of the camp in recent years, it's recommended applications be submitted early. Dates: June 20 to 27, 2014.
This is only a portion of the wonderful opportunities that are offered to our youth! Be sure to check out www.beyondtheyellowribbon.org/youth-camps
Contact Laura 651-268-8695 or Moriah 651-268-8378 For any questions about Youth Programs and Camps!
Tween Overnights Military youth ages 9-13 can spend the night at the Minnesota Zoo and other fantastic locations to network with other military teens and learn how animals are resilient. Dates: July 12-13, Sleeping with the Wolves, International Wolf Center, Ely Aug. 22-23, Minnesota Zoo, Apple Valley
Camp Onomia Extended weekend is a gift to families who have a parent serving in the armed services for our country. It is a tremendous opportunity for support and family fun on a weekend which celebrates our national heritage. Combined with prayer and worship in the Christian community that Onomia provides, this is a weekend you will come back for year after year. No cost for this weekend, donations accepted as you are able. Dates: July 2-5, 2014
Defending the Blue Line Youth Hockey Camps Nearly a dozen camps, located throughout the nation, are available for free or at a discount for military youth. The camps are one of many ways Defending the Blue Line ensures that children of Servicemembers are afforded every opportunity to participate in the game of hockey. Check the website for dates: http://www.defendingtheblueline.org/programs/camps/
Project New Hope Weekend retreat for veterans and their families to help them face the challenge of transition from war to civilian life. Choose from four different retreat locations in Minnesota, each nestled among woodlands, lakes, wetlands and wide-open spaces. Check the website for dates: http://www.projectnewhope.net/locations/USA/Minnesota/location_minnesota.aspx
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Free Veterans’ Day Vacation Gunflint Lodge Grand Marais, MN November 9th-14th We invite all Veterans, plus their spouses and children, to join us for up to a five night vacation at no cost as our thank you for your commitment to our country. We offer you accommodations, all your meals and our guided naturalist activities. If you join us, please provide us proof that you were an active duty Soldier serving in either Iraq or Afghanistan. If others want to contribute, we will see that the children receive special gifts during their visit.
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Hi Military Families, MN State Family Programs would like to invite you to join us for this quarters STAR (Steady, Trained And Ready) Families Resilience Training for Military Families. Resilience is defined as the ability to grow and thrive in the face of challenges and bounce back from adversity. With Service Members away for extended periods of time for deployments, schools, AT, and even monthly Drill, Military Families can really benefit from learning tools to help perform better in stressful situations. The event will be held on Saturday May 31st at the Education Building at Camp Ripley in Little Falls, MN from 10AM - 3PM. The five hour training will cover several modules from the Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness Resilience Training, tailored to Military Families. There will be childcare provided for 0-5 and Operation Military Kids will be there to provide programming for school age children. So bring your children and take advantage of some of the things Camp Ripley has to offer, such as the MN Military Museum and the PX! Come for the training and stay for some fun! The event is open to 30 participants and child care/OMK is available for 50 children, so act fast! Click here to register. Please contact me if you have any questions. Thank you. V/r, Jan Fournier MN Senior FRSA MPSC (Contractor) 8180 Belden Blvd. Cottage Grove, MN 55016 Work: 651.282.4208 Cell: 651.302.5987 jan.k.fournier.ctr@mail.mil https://www.facebook.com/MNFRSA https://twitter.com/MNFRSA7
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HEALTHY MONEY HABITS VACATIONS
CRISTY HOUSE –NORTHERN MN FRSA Where does travel fit into Healthy Money Habits? It is important to have fun with money and it is good to have goals to focus on. We are in the process of becoming debt-free, so vacations have been on hold since college, with a few small exceptions. As we see the light at the end of our tunnel, we are starting the conversation about our first family vacation. We both like the idea of Europe and some sort of Disney vacation. I was five when The Little Mermaid came out in the theaters. I remember being enamored by the commercials. The first movie I saw in theaters was Beauty and the Beast. Is it a coincidence that my daughter’s name is Belle? I have always wanted to take a Disney trip. The happy faces on my TV during the Christmas and Easter Parades proved that Disney was the happiest place on earth. The problem is that I despise hot weather, theme parks, beaches, and crowded places in general. Did I mention we have two toddlers and hope to grow our family soon? My solution is a European Disney Cruise. Disney has four ships based out of the Caribbean. Two spend their summers abroad. One goes to Alaska via the Panama Canal and the other goes to Europe. The Transatlantic cruises are a steal compared to the Caribbean at about half to a third of the price per night, compared to the Caribbean, but the trips are two to three times as long, so the price can add up quickly. For my family of four (two adults and two toddlers) the cost of the fourteen night Transatlantic cruise is $3,700, compared to the seven night Caribbean cruises offered that week for an average of $4,000. That averages $66 per person per night including food, childcare, and The best part is that they offer childcare on ship so Mom and Dad can go on adventures and have fancy dinners. Due to military training, we won’t be able to go until 2015, but it is awesome to think about. 15
ARMY / NATIONAL GUARD minnesotanationalguard.com armyonesource.com militaryonesource.mil CHILDREN ADAPT: cehd.umn.edu/fsos/adapt operationwearehere.com mnchildcare.org ausa.org/family mdva.state.mn.us/child guardfamilyyouth.org militarykids.org DISCOUNTS beyondtheyellowribbon.org military.com/discounts/category EDUCATION education4military.com gibill.va.gov militaryonesource.mil militarychild.org EMPLOYMENT esgr.org mn.gov/deed FMLA: dol.gov/whd/fmla HEALTH / MENTAL HEALTH tricare.mil militarymentalhealth.org Counseling 24/7: militaryonesource.mil MARRIAGE AND RELATIONSHIPS Marriage Retreats: strongbonds.org militaryonesource.mil PARENTS OF SOLDIERS bluestarmoms.org operationwearehere.com/Parents.html PET CARE dogsondeployment.org netpets.org guardianangelsforsoldierspet.org SPOUSES & SIGNIFICANT OTHERS militarysos.com spousebuzz.com milspouse.com msccn.org nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org STRESS MANAGEMENT militaryonesource.mil defense.gov/specials/stressawareness
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RESOURCE LINKS
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