Programs to Improve the Well-Being of Military Families

An exciting initiative sponsored by
AAFCS to respond to critical
issues utilizing family and
consumer sciences research and
expertise
We are….
TAKING IT TO THE
STREETS
AAFCS Taking It to the Streets 2016

Touching lives…
Through YOU!

Contact Team Leaders:
Marilyn R. Swierk, CFCS
AAFCS President 2009-10
msinnovate@aol.com
Mary Behrendt
m_behrendt@cfmtschools.net
Grow with us today!

FERM Contacts:
Patti Wooten-Swanson:
pwswanson@ucanr.edu
Barbara O’ Neill:
oneill@aesop.rutgers.edu
PUBLIC POLICY Contact:
Ida Marie Snorteland:
snorteland@blackhills.com

Taking It to The Street
Initiatives:
2009-2010 First initiative was H1N1.
2010-12 Prevention of obesity, especially as it relates
to children and families…in 2013…..A community on
Obesity Prevention was formed!
2012-2016 TIS partnered with FERM to focus on the
Impact of the Economy on the Family:Strategies and
Solutionms.
Topics were: Resourcefulness, followed by work on
financial impact of Health Insurance and the financial
impact on Military Families.

Challenges Faced
by Military Families

• Due to reassignments, military families
may move frequently
• Nearly 1 million, or 43%, of military
personnel are parents.
• A military child may attend between 6 to 9
schools gr K-12.
• Wives of military personnel are less likely
to be employed than civilian spouses

• Frequent moves and family separations
pose financial difficulties.
• More than half report financial difficulties
and struggles to pay bills.
• Families of Reserve and Guard members:
– Are geographically dispersed and may not
live near a major military installation
– Do not typically have the support system or
resources available to Active Duty members

Research Studies
About Military Families

2012 National Financial
Capability Study (FINRA
Investor Education Foundation)
• Full Report:
http://www.usfinancialcapability.org/downloads/NF
CS_2012_Report_Military_Findings.pdf
• Summary of Findings:
http://www.usfinancialcapability.org/resultsm.php
• Summary Table:
http://www.usfinancialcapability.org/resultsm.php

Methodology and Sample
• Online survey of 1,000 military service members
• Administered in August-September 2012
• Supplemented by 301 service members in July-
October 2012 state-by-state survey
• Total sample size of 1,301
• Weighted to approximate the population of military
service members by gender, pay grade, and active
vs. reserve status (Based on DoD demographics)

Troubling NFCS Findings
• 4 in 10 found it very difficult (10%) or somewhat difficult (31%)
to make ends meet
• 19% reported spending more than income
• 19% reported taking a loan from a retirement account in past
year
• 29% experienced a large unexpected drop in income in past
year
• 43% did not have emergency funds
• 38% were “underwater” on their homes
• 35% used a non-bank borrowing method in past 5 years

Many of these troubling
financial statistics are related
to military family transitions!

Anticipating the Landscape in
the Years Ahead Report
(University of Minnesota)
• Full Report (July 2014):
https://reachmilitaryfamilies.umn.edu/sites/defaul
t/files/rdoc/v5%20Anticipating%20the%20Lands
cape%20in%20the%20Years%20Ahead.pdf
• Research Summary:
https://reachmilitaryfamilies.umn.edu/research/d
ocument/5683

Methodology
Research team reviewed literature on service
members’ post-deployment functioning in six
domains:
• Mental health
• Social and role functioning
• Relationship functioning and family life
• Spirituality
• Physical health

Major Findings
• Financial distress is especially prevalent among the
junior enlisted ranks (E1-E4)
• Frequent moves exacerbate economic challenges
• Spouses struggle with steady employment and
academic/career trajectories
• Some Guard/Reserve members experience a drop in
income when away from well-paying jobs
• Upon homecoming, adjusting to a decreased income
and tighter budget can be challenging
• Finances can change across the deployment cycle

Deployment Pay
• Some service members use additional
deployment pay to reduce debts and save for
college and/or retirement
• Others make large purchases upon their
homecoming (e.g., expensive motorcycles,
cars, boats)
• Lavish purchases can create family financial
problems

Blue Star Families 2014 Military
Family Lifestyle Survey
• Infographic:
https://www.bluestarfam.org/sites/default/files/im
ages/2014-military-family-lifestyle-survey.pdf
• Summary and Full Report:
https://www.bluestarfam.org/resources/2014-
military-family-lifestyle-survey
• Online convenience sample (2/14)
• 6,270 respondents

Major Findings
• 3 of top 5 concerns among respondents related to
finances:
– Pay and benefits
– Potential changes to retirement benefits
– Spouse employment
• 60% of respondents reported that their finances
caused “some stress” or “a great deal of stress”
• Uncertainty about the impact of budget cuts on military
pay and benefits were a source of stress

More Findings
• Mixed results on common indicators of good financial
health vs. the U.S. population
• 36% of respondents owed $5,000+ on credit cards
and 7% owed as much as $20,000
• 72% carried the full $400,000 of SGLI
(Servicemembers Group Life Insurance)
• 21% not regularly contributing to retirement savings
• Less positive financial well-being status report vs.
DoD studies that use scientific sampling methods

Issues Unique to
Youth

• Lack of educator preparedness to recognize
and meet needs of children/youth of
deployed members.
• Possible transition from one school to
another.
• Social/emotional/behavioral reactions may
impact youths’ future
• Accessibility and affordability of childcare.

• Availability and affordability of after-school
programs and youth activities; children
home alone.
• Frequently unaware of resources to help
parents and children cope.
• Difficulty understanding and dealing with
various types of media related to military
situations
• Deployment cycle.

Identified Issues Facing Youth
• No other youth facing the same
situation-families are spread
• Child separation/anxiety issues
regarding safety of deployed parent.
• Deployed parent absent for significant
events
• Less parental involvement from parent
at home.

• Limited opportunities for youth to
attend extracurricular activities
• Teens have increased responsibility-
siblings
• Behavioral changes, peer pressure,
lower self-esteem
• Communication with deployed parent.
• Need to live with extended family.
• Changes in financial resources

• Schedule introductory meeting with
State Youth Coordinator, State Family
Program Director, and Wing
coordinators
• Learn about issues faced by youth of
deployed parents.
• Work with State Family program
personnel.
• Build trust! Build trust!
Strategies

Information
• Web pages:
– http://4-hmilitarypartnerships.org
– http://www.militaryfamily.org/kids-
operation-purple/camps/
– http://4h.ucanr.edu/Programs/MilitaryPartn
ership/
Check your own state 4-H website.

Today’s Focus:
Resources to Improve
the Well-being of
Military Families

• Provides content for professionals who serve
military families (e.g., financial counselors)
• Consists of 8 concentration areas:
• Child Care
• Community Capacity Building
• Family Development
• Family Transitions
• Military Caregiving
• Network Literacy
• Nutrition and Wellness
• Personal Finance
eXtension Military Families
Learning Network

http://articles.extension.org/militaryfamilies
 Includes links to upcoming and archived
webinars
 Includes links to blog posts
 Includes information about concentration
area staff
MLFN Website

A matrix was created
• Over 60 archived webinars
• Recipient of two national awards
• Webinars:
https://learn.extension.org/events/tag/mfln%2
0personal%20finance#.Va0k2hNViko
• Blog:
https://blogs.extension.org/militaryfamilies/cat
egory/personal-finance/
Key Findings
MFLN Personal Finance

The Organization
• Military Saves:
http://www.militarysaves.org/
• Military OneSource:
http://www.militaryonesource.mil/
• Military Relief Organizations:
http://www.militaryonesource.mil/phases-
military-leadership?content_id=267410
Other Resources to Assist
Military Families

Military Family Support Centers provide the
following services:
 Financial management classes
 Local recreational opportunities
 Spouse career counseling/assistance
 Activities for families and children
 More
Installation Resources

National Military Family Association
 Provides information, advocacy, and support for
military families: “The voice for military families”
 Founded in 1969 by military wives who wanted to
make sure that widowed friends were properly
taken care of
 Provides scholarships for military spouses
 Provides camps for kids and family retreats
http://www.militaryfamily.org/
 AAFCS Taking It to the Streets 2016

Fisher House

• Fisher Houses provide military families
housing close to a loved one during
hospitalization for an illness, disease or
injury.
• 63 Fisher Houses are located on 23
military installations and 24 VA medical
centers.
• No cost to stay!
Fisher House:
Helping Military Families

• Bring in meals and snacks for residents.
• Help with general housekeeping chores & gardens.
• Organize goods drives such as paper product drives,
cleaning supplies, laundry supplies, etc.
• Create toiletry bags for residents.
• Collect Toiletry samples at your school or affiliate
conference.
.
Ways you can help…

Help tend the gardens.
Help play with the children to give the
parents a break and some quiet time.
Help with holiday decorating, children toy
drives, and gifts for those staying at the
home through the holidays.
Plan special occasion events.

COUPS FOR
TROOPS

Coups for Troops
Clipping Coupons for a Cause
COUPS FOR TROOPS!
www.coupsfortroops.com
• Coupon drives for military families
• Accept expired coupons
• Direct Mail or Drop off locations

• Indiana affiliate first introduced the idea
• The Oklahoma affiliate gathered almost $12,000
in coupons!
Let’s help financially stressed
military families as a token of
appreciation for what they do for
us!
• What can your affiliate do?
• What can your students, school, or community
organizations do?

OTHER
WAYS TO
HELP

Operation Gratitude
Operation Gratitude’s mission is to
lift the spirits and meet the evolving
needs of our First Responder, Active
Duty, Veteran, and Wounded Warrior
communities.
Operation Gratitude annually
sends 150,000+ care packages filled
with snacks, entertainment, hygiene
products, handmade items, plus
personal letters of appreciation.
www.operationgratitude.com

Operation Gratitude
Battalion Buddies: Provides special stuffed toys to the sons
and daughters of U.S. military personnel as their units get
ready to deploy.
Hi Brave Young Warrior:
I am your Battalion Buddy!
I am here to cuddle and play with you
while Mommy or Daddy is away!
And my friends at Operation Gratitude
will be sending a little something to
Mommy or Daddy, too!

Operation Gratitude
Those wishing to donate brand-new
stuffed toys (ready-made or from a kit)
to be used as Battalion Buddies may
send them to the following address:
Operation Gratitude
17330 Victory Boulevard
Van Nuys, CA 91406
Attn: Battalion Buddies Program
You can also include letters to the
families and children, and Operation
Gratitude will deliver those along
with the stuffed animals.

2013-14
• Create The Good connects you with volunteer opportunities to share
your life experiences, skills and passions in your community.
www.createthegood.org
• Do-It-Yourself Project Guides
• Find step-by-step guides with all the information you need to lead a
successful volunteer project in your community.
• Help Military Families
http://createthegood.org/toolkit/help-military-families
Create the Good - AARP

• Be an Angel, Help a Soldier –
www.soldierangels.org
• “Support our troops and their
families through Soldiers' Angels.
We aid and comfort the men,
women and veterans of the United
States Army, Marines, Navy, Air
Force, Coast Guard.”
• “Soldiers' Angels is the among our
nation's best charities, providing aid
and comfort to our troops, wounded
warriors, veterans, and their
families. Your donations help
support all our programs.”
Soldier’s Angels

• Operation Top Knot
• “Love to sew baby booties and knit
cuddly blankets? Or perhaps shopping
for cute baby items is a fun pastime?
Be sure to check out the Soldiers'
Angels Operation Top Knot Team! The
dedicated Angel volunteers on this
team provide virtual baby showers for
military families. With their collective
skills of sewing, quilting, knitting,
crocheting, and shopping, these Angels
help ease the stresses of military life for
expectant spouses of deployed service
members as well as active duty female
service members.”
Soldier’s Angels

• “Operation Appreciation's passion is to support our troops
mental health, physical well-being, financial hardships, training,
reintegration, unit programs, and so much more. It is our
pleasure to be there for them as they serve their country and
make sacrifices without question or hesitation. We work hand-
in-hand with community businesses and volunteers to be the
difference for our military veterans and their family members.”
• http://www.operationappreciationga.org/
Operation Appreciation

• This Association is the “go to” source for Administration Officials,
Members of Congress, and key decision makers when they want to
understand the issues facing our families. They know we have “boots
on the ground” with military families and understand better than
anyone that “military families serve, too.”
• The association is comprised mainly of military spouses and former
military members. We walk the walk and talk the talk on a daily basis.
We are advocates and subject matter experts in the area of military
family needs, issues, and benefits.
• http://www.militaryfamily.org
National Military
Family Association

“Caring for our nation’s
heroes!”
Walter Reed National
Military Facebook Page

• STRENGTHENING AMERICA‘S MILITARY FAMILIES
• WE KNOW MILITARY FAMILIES—WE ARE MILITARY
FAMILIES
• “Frequent moves, deployments, and transitions can make it
hard for military families to establish strong, trusted networks.
We bridge the gap between military family communities and
the general public. Through our partnerships, Blue Star
Families provides free resources, services, and opportunities
to more than 1.5 million military family members—making
military life more sustainable.”
Blue Star Families

• This site is a wonderful resource for
military personnel to use.
• Has information regarding benefits,
jobs, military life etc.
Military.com

http://createthegood.org (AARP) Do-It-Yourself Project: Help
Military Families
Soldier's Angels is a comprehensive website full of creative
ways to show love to our troops "such as Angel Bakers -
Homemade treats for the deployed or sew items for young
children for virtual baby showers.
Military.com
Reach out to a military family in your community
Invite them over for a meal, bring them a meal or invite them out
for dinner.
Veterans: Walter Reed National Military Center facebook page
provides inspiration and ideas.
Operation Appreciation and Blue Star Families. Write letters of
thanks to military families

Next Steps for
Taking It to the Streets!

Continue our efforts to help military
families during the next year.
Begin to a new TIS
campaign…..

FCS role in Preparedness
Creating an awareness and
disseminating information about the
importance of preparedness in
emergency situations
–natural disasters (floods, hurricanes,
tornados),
–accidents (fires, car accidents),
–and even terrorist attacks, etc.
Emergency Preparedness

FCS role in Preparedness
WHY:
• Timely, now more than ever
• Many potential partners
• Has a connection to our current work
with the military
• Many resources available
Emergency Preparedness

Connected to AAFCS Signature Initiative:
FCSfit
a three-year initiative that focuses on a different type
of wellness each year:
•physical (family health and well being)
•financial (financial health)
•relationships (mental and emotional health)
**Preparedness could easily fit into each of these
topics
**TIS and FCS/fit will be cross linked
on the AAFCS website

SOME EXAMPLES:
• Family health and well being:
– Readiness of emergency food supply, special dietary needs..
• Financial preparedness
– (Financial First Aid Kit, cash is king…where is yours?
• Relationships and Mental and emotional
health
– Family piece of mind that you are prepared
– Helping Caregivers prepare children, the elderly and those who
are disabled.
– How many important contact numbers can you remember if
your cell phone is disabled?

TIS ROLE:
• Create the awareness of the importance
of preparedness
• Provide FCS with links to resources
• Encourage member and unit
involvement

YOUR ROLE:
• Partnerships with local agencies-extension,
Red Cross, FEMA, etc.
• Conference speakers
• Affiliate workshops
• Integrate into class lessons, parent
workshops, service learning projects, etc.
Examples:
– Creation of preparedness checklists by students,
affiliate, etc.
– Sorting and repairing donated clothing for
emergencies

How will YOU prepare others to
be FCS/fit
for an emergency?

Input & involvement needed from:
• AAFCS Partners
• AAFCS Communities
• AAFCS Affiliates
• FCS Professionals…and
JOIN the TIS team
New team members & leaders
are needed and always welcome!
Let’s Take FCS to the Streets!

What else can YOU do?
•Share your information with the public.
•Label all information you distribute with
the FCS labels at the TIS link.
•Publicize your work!
•Report your work/share ideas with us.

• Assign a TIS contact for your affiliate.
• Include TIS related activities at your
meetings and conferences.
• Utilize the TIS resources and share your
ideas with TIS.
Affiliate Role

• Submit Yearly Reports in the spring to
help us measure involvement and
impact.
• Showcase your affiliate’s activities as a
whole.
• Encourage individual members to report
their activities as well.

Increase our resources on these topics to:
• Add to what is currently there.
• Provide information on the social and emotional
impact on the family.
• Provide more examples of research.
• Provide more suggested activities for teachers,
affiliates, extension, and more!
We need your help…please contact us if you
have ideas to share!
Resources

A matrix was createdTIS Website Information
For Ongoing Updates and Information
Go To:
www.aafcs.org/TIS

BE INVOLVED:
• Check website information often.
• Share with other FCS professionals/partners.
• Label whatever you order or disseminate, get
recognition through the media.
• Keep us informed and share your ideas and
report on your work.
Bottom Line….

Contact Team Leaders:
Marilyn R. Swierk, CFCS
AAFCS President 2009-10
msinnovate@aol.com
Mary Behrendt
m_behrendt@cfmtschools.net
Join the TIS Team
as a member or a leader

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