SCORE Counselors Available to Military Families

SCORE is a nationwide nonprofit organization affiliated with the U.S. Small Business Administration dedicated to the formation, growth and success of small business. Over 10,500 successful executives located in 389 local chapters volunteer to provide free, confidential business counseling as a public service to all types of businesses, in all stages of development. SCORE is the best source of free and confidential small business advice to help you build your business—from idea to start-up to success. Since 1964, SCORE has provided more than 6.5 million aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners with practical, real-world advice for starting and managing a small business. Today, SCORE provides more than 400,000 counseling and training sessions each year.



SCORE volunteers are available to help our nation’s soldiers and business partners to leverage their expertise and energies to implement proven business practices in accomplishing your business objectives. What you can expect from SCORE is:
No-cost personal counseling and mentoring at the variety of local SCORE offices or, depending on geography, your business location or elsewhere.
The respect and confidential advice of professional business men and women.
Practical ideas from people “who have been there” and made a success of it.
Counselors who are experts or have access to experts on most business issues who will meet with you as frequently as necessary to define and analyze problems; then help you find the solutions.
Non-confrontational discussions – like talking to trusted friends and family.



FACE-TO-FACE COUNSELING
All States
Use SCORE's online mapping system to locate a chapter near you. Schedule a free, face-to-face counseling session with a business expert today. (You can also contact the SCORE Association office at 1-800-634--0245 to find a SCORE office near you.)
California
California has implemented an additional program to help you easily arrange a meeting with the most appropriate SCORE counselor. Also, a SCORE program manager will automatically follow up to ensure that you received the support that best fits your needs. (This program was initially developed to assist businesses impacted by National Guard deployments but, is available to all.)
Nebraska
Nebraska has implemented an additional program to help you easily arrange a meeting with the most appropriate SCORE counselor. (This program was initially developed to assist small businesses impacted by the deployment of National Guard troops but, is available to everyone.)




EMAIL COUNSELING
You can also contact one of SCORE's 1,200 email counselors for free any time of the day or week. You will receive a response within 48 hours to your question or request for information.




COMMENTS / QUESTIONS
Please send us an email at info@scoremilitary.org if you have any questions, comments or concerns. The SCORE project manager for this program is available to help ensure that you receive the best support available from SCORE.

Military Families With Special Needs Family Members

Over 100,000 military families have members with special needs. These include spouses, children, or dependent parents who require special medical or educational services. These family members have a diagnosed physical, intellectual or emotional condition. We invite you to explore the Special Needs module to learn about and find the resources that will support your family. Please update your bookmarks or favorites so you can return here often and Subscribe to our newsletter. As new items about special needs are added to the website, those who subscribe will be alerted.

While MilitaryHOMEFRONT works hard at providing you with the most comprehensive information designed specifically for military families with special needs we realize that you may have needs that go beyond the scope of our website. If that is the case, we encourage you to contact Military OneSource for special needs assistance. Military OneSource, a Department of Defense sponsored benefit, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year. Military OneSource provides dedicated special needs consultation, research, resources and materials intended to enhance current military services available to families with special needs.

You can also contact the Exceptional Family Member Program Manager on the installation nearest you.

Phone Card Donation Program Goes Public

Military Phone Card Donation Program Goes Public
The Department of Defense announced today that any American can now help troops in contingency operations call home.
The Defense Department has authorized the Armed Services Exchanges to sell prepaid calling cards to any individual or organization that wishes to purchase cards for troops who are deployed. The "Help Our Troops Call Home" program is designed to help servicemembers call home from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
For those wishing to donate a prepaid calling card to a military member may log on to any of the three Armed Services Exchange web sites:
The Army and Air Force Exchange Service at http://www.aafes.com/
The Navy Exchange Service Command http://www.navy-nex.com/
Click the "Help Our Troops Call Home" (or "Help Our Sailors Call Home") link. From there, a prepaid calling card may be purchased for an individual at his or her deployed address or to "any service member" deployed or hospitalized. The Armed Services Exchanges will distribute cards donated to "any service member" through the American Red Cross, Air Force Aid Society and the Fisher House Foundation.
The Armed Services Exchanges operate telephone call centers in Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and other countries and aboard ships -- anywhere servicemembers are deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. All of these locations stay busy around the clock to keep up communication between deployed troops and their loved ones. The cards available through the "Help Our Troops Call Home" program offer the best value for calls made from the call centers, never expire, and there are no added charges or connection fees.
Individuals and organizations also can show their support to deployed troops and their families with gift certificates. The "Gift of Groceries" program allows anyone to purchase commissary gift certificates at http://www.commissaries.com/ or by calling toll free 1 (877) 770-GIFT. The Armed Services Exchanges offer the "Gift From the Homefront" gift certificate for merchandise at these exchange web sites: http://www.aafes.com/ and http://www.navy-nex.com/ or by calling toll free 1 (877) 770-GIFT. Gift certificates may be purchased to be mailed to servicemembers and family members or will be distributed to "any servicemember." Only authorized commissary and exchange patrons may redeem the gift certificates at military commissaries and exchanges, including those stores supporting deployed personnel around the globe.

National Military Family Award

NMFA Family AwardProgram Overview







What is the Family Award?The NMFA Family Award is given to 12 families who exemplify the best of the military family lifestyle. Each month, one family will be chosen to receive the NMFA Family of the Month Award. The winning family will receive $500 and a $250 donation will be made to a charity of their choosing. In June, NMFA will select one family from the previous 12 months of NMFA Family of the Month winners to receive the coveted NMFA Family of the Year Award. This special family will receive an additional $1000 and a trip to Washington D.C. where they will be honored at a reception with key military leaders and the program sponsors. They will also have the opportunity to present a check in the amount of $500 to the charity of their choice.
What is Different About the Program in 2006Because what you do is special, NMFA feels each family deserves national attention. In the past we have presented the awards to all of our winning families at the same time and placed the spotlight on the NMFA Family of the Year. However, all of our winning families are special and deserve their own time to shine. Now, we will recognize one family each month as the NMFA Family of the Month. NMFA will feature that family’s personal story on our website and in our newsletter and work with the family’s command to arrange a presentation of the award in its community.
The nomination period begins March 1, 2006. In order to make the move from a yearly to a monthly award, NMFA will select six Family Award recipients and choose the 2006 NMFA Family of the Year in June, but the nomination period will never close. Nominations now will be evaluated quarterly. Each month, beginning in June, NMFA will recognize one deserving family with the NMFA Family of the Month Award. One family from NMFA Family of the Month winners from June 2006 through May 2007 will be chosen to receive the NMFA Family of the Year Award for 2007.
The Judging Process A panel of active NMFA members and other individuals, representing servicemembers and families from various ranks and services, judge the narratives using a “blind” (name and identifiers blocked-out) format.
About the Sponsors

Nestlé USAIn keeping with their theme to “make the very best,” Nestlé is proud to sponsor the NMFA Family Award. Nestlé's existing products grow through innovation and renovation. Long-term potential is never sacrificed for short-term performance. The Company's priority is to bring the best and most relevant products to people, wherever they are, whatever their needs, throughout their lives.

Association of Military Banks of AmericaThe Association of Military Banks of America (AMBA) is a not for profit association of banks operating on military installations, banks serving military customers but not located on military installations, and military banking facilities designated by the U. S. Treasury. The association's membership includes both FDIC insured community banks and large multinational financial institutions.

National Military Family Association VIP Awards Nominations Due Soon

NMFA Very Important Patriot (VIP) Award

The Very Important Patriot (VIP) Award recognizes exceptional volunteers worldwide whose outstanding service contributes to improving the quality of life in their military and/or neighboring communities. Due to the challenges of the current pace of military operations, volunteers are playing an increasing role in providing support and stability in their communities. The role of active volunteers has become a critical element in mission readiness. We are thankful for those who have been serving the community for years and welcome the new volunteers who have answered the call to serve on the home front. NMFA and the VIP Award sponsors want to recognize those volunteers, old and new, whose selfless actions have made a lasting impact on their community.
2006 SPONSORS
Nominations will be accepted April 1, 2006 through May 19, 2006. Winners will be notified mid-June. If the nominee is planning to move during this time period, please provide details on how they can be contacted after they move. NMFA assumes no responsibility for documents not received by our office or not received in a timely manner. All applications become the property of NMFA.

FREE CAMPS FOR KIDS WITH DEPLOYED PARENTS

Free Camps for Kids with Deployed Parents
Operation Purple Camp Registration Deadline Approaching
Operation Purple camps offer a free week of summer fun for kids with deployed parents. This year over 30 weeks of camps will be held at locations all over the country! Campers from all service branches will gather together to experience a memorable week of camp fun with a focus on learning coping skills to better deal with a parent's deployment. Registration for Operation Purple summer camp closes May 1st. Applications, forms, and details on each camp location are available now. Find out more about Operation Purple camps or ways you can help.
The 2006 camps are made possible thanks to generous funding from TriWest Healthcare Alliance, and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation

FREE ADMISSION TO SESAME PLACE, SEA WORLD OR BUSCH GARDENS

FREE ADMISSION SUMMARYAny active duty, activated or drilling reservist, or National Guardsman is entitled to free admission under the Here's to the Heroes program. He or she need only register, either by clicking here
and submitting his or her information or in the entrance plaza of participating parks, and show a Department of Defense photo ID. As many as three direct dependents of military personnel also are entitled to free admission. Dependents may take advantage of the offer without their service member, though an adult must accompany minor dependents. Busch Gardens Williamsburg and SeaWorld San Antonio are seasonal operations that will remain closed until spring 2006. Military personnel interested in visiting those parks should check operating schedules. Click here for Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Click here for SeaWorld San Antonio. Click here for Sesame Place. The remaining parks, SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and SeaWorld San Diego are open year round.Valid for one complimentary single-day admission per person, per year, to one of the following Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks: SeaWorld Orlando, San Diego, or San Antonio, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay or Williamsburg, Sesame Place, Water Country USA, Adventure Island.

News You Can Use and Upcoming Events

Hello all,

I hope you are all happy, healthy and safe. Just some information you might find useful:
**Attached are 2 flyers for an event that will take place on Saturday May 13, 2006 from 9am-5pm in South Egg Harbor (Atlantic County). It is a 4-H event sponsored Hope to see some of you there.
**Also below is a press release that you might like to know about. (Elmo and his dad are going through a deployment!!)

By Paul X. Rutz
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 26, 2006 - Elmo and his red, fuzzy father will star this summer in an effort to teach young military children and their caregivers how best to handle a parent's deployment in a program called "Talk, Listen, Connect: Helping Families Cope with Military Deployment."

This July, Sesame Workshop, the makers of Sesame Street, will launch the program as a DVD kit. Performed in English and Spanish, it will not air on television but will be distributed free to schools, childcare programs and family support centers, thanks to a gift from Wal-Mart stores and other sponsors.

Jeanette Betancourt, vice president for content design at Sesame Workshop's education and outreach division, said an analysis of the resources available to help children with this problem exposed a need.

"We found that although there was a wealth of information around deployment, it seemed to be targeted much more to children that were more school age, less so, materials that involved young children -- preschool -- and then even less so, Spanish language materials."

The kit is the result of analysis done by the workshop with support from the New York State Office of Mental Health and the Military Child Education Coalition. Focus groups composed of families with deployed members made up a large part of the study, Betancourt said.

The kit covers all phases of deployment -- from predeployment to homecoming -- and the unique challenges each phase poses, she said.

Sesame Workshop, a nonprofit education effort, has been doing these special projects since its inception in 1968. The group has done outreach projects on subjects like early literacy, asthma, lead poisoning, going to the doctor and school readiness.

Soon after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the workshop did a special set of TV programs called "You Can Ask," which focused on fear and grief in children under age 5. The TV programs, in English, Spanish and Chinese, were repackaged and distributed to childcare programs, mental health care programs, and the like, via the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Those programs' success helped lead to "Talk, Listen, Connect" because they developed an interest "on how we could talk about difficult topics with young children," Betancourt said. That model led to a partnership with Wal-Mart on this outreach project.

"We were looking for ways to meet an unmet need," said Mia Masten, Wal-Mart's northeast U.S. director for community relations. She said that when Sesame Workshop approached Wal-Mart, the retail giant gave $892,540 to produce the project, noting also that many of the company's employees are Reserve and National Guard members.

"It's really an extension of our long-term relationship with military families," Masten said. Wal-Mart is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program highlighting grassroots and corporate support for the nation's troops and their families.

Retired Marine Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden is an advisory board member on the project. He and several military members met with educators during a conference here in January and connected Sesame Workshop with the Military Child Education Coalition, which helped support the focus group research prior to taping.

Bolden said everyone on the panel agreed a significant portion of their time should be devoted to the unique problems of Guard and Reserve families. "For people in the Guard and, to some extent, the Reserve, this is kind of foreign to them, and deployments are not something they ordinarily did prior to now," he said. "Sesame seemed to have come up with a way to reach out to these kids who aren't in a military community the way that the active duty folk are, so that was one of the reasons that we felt they should be a special target for this project."

According to a 2003 demographics report by the Defense Department, 661,402 children of military members are under the age of 5. This project will produce 138,000 DVD kits, according to a press release.

Bolden and other retired military officers have offered to help distribute the DVDs "so that we reach the maximum number of families in the most critically needed areas," he said.

Although this program is targeted toward military children, Bolden said he already sees a benefit he had not foreseen when the project began.

"Military children are not the only ones who are involved in separation and deployments and the like," he said. "One of the benefits that you get by doing something like this is that you're also able to reach, say, kids from the State Department, kids from oil and gas companies, people whose parents are moving around and deploying all the time and undergo excessive absence much the same as military kids do."


Amanda Balas
New Jersey National Guard Youth Coordinator
3650 Saylors Pond Road
Fort Dix, NJ 08640
Work: 609-562-0742
Fax: 609-562-0552
Toll Free: 1-888-859-0352

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Military Spouses Appreciation Day

"If the military had wanted you to have a spouse, they would have issued you one." Remember those words? Well, that was then and this is now. America's military has realized and acknowledged the significance of the military spouse. In 1984 President Reagan proclaimed the Friday before Mother's Day of each year to be Military Spouse Appreciation Day. It is your day to stand up and be honored. For the times you've stood and watched a ship sail from the harbor, an aircraft disappear into the clouds, or a truck convoy pull out of sight, not sure when they would return, we thank you. For the countless household moves you've made from a place you know to one that's strange and different -- often by yourself -- we thank you. For the families you've held together, for the anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays you've celebrated alone, we thank you. For the hand you've extended to another military spouse when the need was there, truly creating a military family, we thank you. For the spirit and strength you've shown when your service member has gone into harm's way, we thank you. For the pride you've displayed while serving as an ambassador of the military spouse to the rest of the world, we thank you. Far too frequently, the sacrifices and dedication of the military spouse have gone unnoticed and unappreciated. In our nation's recent history, thousands of service members have been placed in harm's way as they stood watch as freedom's guardian. You too have stood watch at home, facing challenges alone. You have waved flags and held banners high to express your support. You have kept the candles burning on the home front as a reminder of our deployed military. You have made difficult sacrifices of your own, and have called upon your inner reserves to nurture family life so your service member can focus on the business at hand. Even in times of relaxed alert status for our military, you have stood ready and alert for the slightest of signs, perhaps overlooked or ignored by your civilian counterparts, signaling a potential change in the status of our military forces. As a military spouse, you have willingly packed up and relocated countless times, and may have been separated from your own parents and siblings for several years at a time. Quite often, you have been placed in an unfamiliar ethnic or cultural setting, or a remote location. You have met this challenge with confidence and pride, making your nation proud of you. By the same token, you have extended your hand and hospitality to visitors to our country. A country cannot count itself strong by its armed services alone, but must also depend on its civilians. With military wives and husbands setting a superior example through devotion, courage, and commitment, we are a nation of strength. Military spouses … stand tall, stand proud … we salute you, you are truly our unsung heroes.