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The military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are half the world away from Rhode Island but that does not mean those who serve and left families behind are out of mind by 4-H Club members.
Using an Army grant, 4-H clubs around the state are participating in a program called “Operation: Military Kids” and coordinating the project is Pam Martin working out of the 4-H offices at Peckham Farm. 4-H is one of several outreach programs based in the College of the Environment and Life Sciences.
Martin, on the job only a few weeks, seems ideally suited for the job. She is an Army veteran herself, having been commissioned after finishing ROTC while attending Providence College. She is also married to an Army veteran who is an instructor in the ROTC program at URI. Having been a military wife for many years, she is quite familiar with the challenges that face military families when a father or mother is deployed overseas.
The support system for military families is a far cry from what it was years ago, she says.
“When I was in the Army, the only get-togethers were over coffee,” she recalls.
When the global war on terrorism started after 9-11 and deployments of military personnel increased many fold, it became apparent that a partnership operation was needed to ramp up military family support on the home front.
Of particular vulnerability are children when a father or mother is deployed, says Martin.
As a result a partnership program called “Operation: Military Kids” (OMK) was started involving Army Child, Youth and School Services, USDA National 4-H Headquarters and URI 4-H Youth development.
Involving 4-H was a no-brainer as 4-H had a long established kid-orientated program.
There are 50 4-H clubs in Rhode Island involving some 900 children and many of the clubs have distinct emphasis in different fields.
But one thing is common—an interest in helping our kids.
One of the most visible projects is something called “Hero Packs.” At their meetings, 4-Hers frequently get together to assemble various items for the “Hero Packs” which actually are small back packs filled with such things as communications materials (stationery, pens, pencils, crayons), comfort items such as stuffed animals or even a “blankie,” fun items such as Play Dough and assorted things that fall into the “stocking stuffer” category.
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If there is a major deployment from Rhode Island (another large one is planned for the fall for one of the National Guard units) then the 4-H clubs have to gear up their efforts. The Hero Packs are given to military children at the deployment ceremonies. If a soldier comes home for a brief reunion, Hero Packs are given to youngsters when he or she has to deploy again. So in addition to making up packs for large deployments, it is necessary to have packs available for what Martin calls “one-sees and two-sees.” While a grant helps support the OMK project was just awarded last year, URI 4-H anticipated the program before that. One 4-H club alone put together 500 Hero Packs in the last two years through the RI National Guard Family Assistance Program.
The grant is supplied by the 4-H/Army Youth Development Program and the Kansas State University Youth Development Program.
The OMK program has other features beyond the Hero Packs.
There are mobile technology labs that travel about the state which include laptops, scanners, copiers, printers, cameras and lots of photo paper so children can communicate directly with a parent or even have a video conference.
Another offering is “Ready, Set, Go,” a training program for school administrators, counselors, teachers and community organizations that teaches people in youths’ lives about the stress or deployment s and how they affect kids.
And then there is a “Speak Out for Military Kids” program that trains teens on how to make public service announcements, print articles and videos to spread the word about military kids in the state—there are about 6,000.
Martin says the Hero Packs program is certainly the most visible aspect of the OMK program but the program will be in need of much more effort on the part of 4-H and the various partners (there are 7 other organizations such as the American Legion and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, involved.)
The way it looks, there will be many future deployments of military personnel who must leave families behind. For that reason, OMK can use more help in getting items for the packs or donations to buy the materials from churches, civic organizations and other charitable ventures.
Martin can be reached at 874-5291.
Published: April 14th, 2009
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