May is National Military Appreciation Month, including Military Spouse Day on May 10, and Memorial Day. The Armed Services YMCA is the oldest nonprofit organization in the U.S. supporting junior enlisted members and their families since 1861.
Daily life in even the most normal of times comes with a degree of uncertainty for children in military families. With 1.2 million military children of active- duty members worldwide, Month of the Military Child in April, honors their sacrifice and resilience. ASYMCA works with its programs including Operation Hero, an after-school mentorship program where military children are paired with a mentor to deal with their daily challenges and Operation Kid Comfort where children receive a customized handmade quilt while their parent is deployed or makes the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.
Armed Services YMCA Camp Pendleton Executive Director Samantha Holt said the ASYMCA works to counterbalance some of the hardships with programs offered to children of military families.
“Operation Hero is an afterschool mentoring program for children who have been referred to us who are struggling with the many deployments they encounter,” she said. “That is the main goal of the ASYMCA, is to strengthen military families, ensure that the service member is mission ready and does not have to worry about their family that is left behind as they deploy. When they are not cared for, or lack access to childcare, food insecurity, challenges with mental health, it affects military readiness for those who are deployed. It also hinders their ability to do their jobs. The services at the ASYMCA tries to address those needs.”
Holt said the ASYMCA also offers childcare.
“Many of our military families, who often move around frequently, and they move to our base, not only are they looking for a new job, but they are also trying to find childcare. The waiting list for childcare right now is so extremely long, that we do our best to get them into our centers to make sure they can have a second income coming into the family,” she said. “We have a full childcare center as well as childcare subsidies. Families are on a waiting list to receive childcare at Camp Pendleton, but we do have a subsidy program where we help families weekly to offset the costs they are paying for childcare.”
Holt said the organization has many food insecurity programs.
“At each of our locations, we offer a monthly food and diaper distribution, where families can come and receive fresh produce, diapers, dry goods, proteins, and things like that. At Camp Pendleton we offer the Pendleton Pantry. Families can come to us two days a week and receive the pantry items that they may need.”
Holt said the organization supports military families yearlong, but in May, it focuses on supporting them with programs like Operation Kid Comfort, a 20-year program.
For more information about programs and events, visit asymca.org.
CORRECTION: In a previous version of this story, Samantha Holt was incorrectly identified as the executive director of the Armed Services YMCA San Diego. Holt is Armed Services YMCA Camp Pendleton Executive Director. The Alpine Sun regrets this error.
