Week in Review: May 29 – June 4, 2011 (Military News) #MilitaryMon

Popular Military Family Articles for the week of May 29th – June 4th on

MilitaryAvenue.com
Armed with a Battle Saint™: A military Mom, Cynthia LeMay, has launched a project to support the troops. She has a number of loved ones serving in the military, including a son with the 101st Airborne who is currently serving in northern Afghanistan. Many of her family members are in harms way and not a moment goes by when she doesn’t worry and wonder if she could do more to help.  At a recent family reunion, she sat around a big bonfire listening to the stories of war told by family members’ home on leave. Some had just returned from tours of duty and others were about to deploy.  …

Volunteers of America – Redux “There Are No Limits to Caring!”: Volunteers of America (VoA) Michigan showed me how people cared about our homeless veterans last week! I wrote about The Home Depot Foundation and how many others jumped in to make the veterans’ lives easier with the VoA Stand Down which provided resources and information to the veterans in Lansing, MI. VoA has a long arm with organizations in 400 communities in the US while helping over 2 million folks in need!  Volunteers of America (VoA) Michigan showed me how people cared about our homeless veterans last week! …

Going Viral with MilitaryAvenue and CNN – “Tell Your Story”: MilitaryAvenue.com was featured in a midday story on Military Spouse Appreciation Day last month!  May was Military Appreciation Month and many businesses responded with some great support to the military community! Did you know about Military Spouse Appreciation Day? Armed Services Day? Memorial Day?   We received some great coverage from CNN on Military Spouse Appreciation Day with our blog on 101 Ways to Thank a Military Spouse! …

It Was A Wet, Cold Day and the Homeless Veterans Came to the Stand Down!: “The Home Depot Foundation is committed to ensuring that every veteran has a safe place to call home.” Home Depot Foundation President Kelly Caffarelli.  My day was a bit different than normal yesterday! I admit to being a bit of a routine type guy; maybe it comes from years of aircraft checklists and procedures, I am not sure. But, I left my comfort zone and headed out in the car solo for a drive to attend a Stand Down for Homeless Veterans! …

Making the Most of Your Vacation, Without Breaking the Bank: If you’re like me and my family, you can already feel it coming…the gotta-get-away itch. Vibrant colors are starting to dot the landscape, the kids are more interested in fresh air than books and school. Believe it or not, summer is just around the corner. Even in today’s difficult economic environment, there’s definitely a need to block some time to focus on family, fun, relaxation and recharging your batteries. However, that same economic environment puts a premium on getting the most bang for your vacation buck…

Sermon Notes: The Soldier’s Psalm: Psalm 91 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. …

Caring for Our Wounded/Disabled Heroes! Two New VA & DoD Efforts to Help: Military Appreciation Month was extremely busy with activities for military community members. The month included recognition programs and much to be thankful for; such as a successful mission to find and eliminate Al Qaeda’s leader.  But life continues and now some military members are preparing for a PCS or deployment (again), some are in basic training (best wishes to a cousin’s friend at Ft Jackson) and many are helping out those affected by natural disasters such as flooding, fires and tornadoes (and we just started hurricane season).  …

It’s Not a Question Of Do They Get It: Summer is fast approaching, schools are closing, heat is rising, sports are triumphant… or winding down. Life in the home front is sweet. Routine does have it’s advantages especially with gas prices out the ceiling. Then the mail brings in high school open house invitations, wedding announcements, family reunion picnic plans. Most are from out of state, half are from out of time zone! But that desire to see Momma, hear Dad’s laughter, show off your youngsters and rest for a few moments being the child again at home sucks you in like a powerful vacuum cleaner! …

Memorial Day: This weekend I’m looking forward to a local minor-league baseball game, a barbecue with good friends, a little league game for my eight-year old and YES getting my garden in Most importantly, though, we will also take time to remember what Memorial Day is really about. My husband will be marching in our Memorial Day Parade in his ACUs as part of the VFW presentation of the Colors. My boys will be wearing their baseball uniforms, holding little flags and tossing out candy to the parade watchers as they march in their first real parade. …

Be Prepared for Your PCS: The difference between an easy PCS move and a difficult one often depends on your family’s level of readiness—especially financial readiness. To help, the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, the National Endowment for Financial Education® (NEFE®) and the National Military Family Association created Money and Mobility, an informational guide that contains worksheets, checklists, links to online resources and more to help your next move or deployment go smoothly.