Volunteers took to the USS Midway Flight Deck on Wednesday morning to assemble 650 food kits for San Diego’s newest military families.
Target provided the food, supplies, and employees to help with the event as a part of an ongoing partnership with the national nonprofit Blue Star Families, who organized the event.
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., nearly 100 volunteers from Blue Star Families, Target and the USSMidway packed boxes to be sent to military families who have recently relocated to San Diego.
Helping local military families out was the goal behind today’s event on the USS Midway. (Photo by Adrian Childress)“Military families will move every two to three years, and every time you move, you can’t take everything with you,” said Lily Carlton, program manager for Blue Star Families San Diego Chapter. “So, the moving trucks come, you have to dump a bunch of food, and you move into a new community, and you have to pay out of pocket … On top of that, military families are also experiencing food insecurities, especially [for] the younger enlisted families. San Diego is so stinking expensive that they can barely get by.”
According to Carlton, who spoke from personal experience as a military spouse herself, families typically spend more than $1,000 out of pocket to refresh their pantries upon relocation.
The kits mostly comprise breakfast items, such as granola, cinnamon, protein pancake powder and even shelf-stable milk.
Maggie Meza, executive director of Blue Star Families San Diego Chapter, explained the need for these kinds of items.
“First of all, spices, because everybody needs spices for their meals,” Meza said. “But it’s important to start the day with a good meal, and so having breakfast items for the family before you send them off to school and have their stomachs full, is a great way to start the day.”
Despite a toasty day outside, spirits were high on the Flight Deck.
In addition to breakfast bakery items, coffee, and fruit, volunteers were also provided silent disco headphones, performances from Sweethearts of Swing, and cupcake breaks.
Volunteers assemble food boxes with oats, maple syrup and more. (Video by Adrian Childress/Times of San Diego)This event comes ahead of Blue Star Families’ annual Welcome Week, a nationwide military support event that kicks off Sept. 27.
“We designate an entire week of events to have the community recognize that there are new military families in their area, and that over 600,000 military families move every single year,” Meza said.
“On top of that, 70% of our military families actually reside off of the military base. They’re in our communities. They’re our neighbors. So part of this, with Target, is to recognize that Target is doing their part by supporting military families, and we can do our part too by getting to know our neighbors and support our military families that way.”
The event also honored Misty Gilbert, who has been a volunteer with Blue Star Families for eight years and a military spouse for 14. As her fourth relocation, Gilbert and her family moved to San Diego in July.
“Although I look at this amazing journey we have been on together as a military family as a blessing, it also comes with its unique challenges, especially when it comes to moving,” Gilbert said at the event. “In addition to the expense of moving, finding new schools for your kids, a new doctor, employment, and, in my opinion, most importantly, a support system in your new local community can be overwhelming to say the least.”
Gilbert became a Blue Star Families volunteer after noticing the need for community support in her friendship circles with fellow military spouses.
It is never a surprise that San Diego supports area military families. (Photo by Adrian Childress)“I could go on and on about the amazing connections made, not only in the military community, but also with local civilians — but it would probably take all day,” Gilbert said. “The relationships I’ve built through Blue Star Families are some of those that I hold dearest to my heart.
“Welcome Week has been such a special time in my life for the past six years, and I’m thrilled to be here today on my first Blue Star Families chapter event. With that said, I would like to encourage everyone to take a look at your own community and see what you can do.”
Upcoming Welcome Week events in San Diego include a Carlsbad Food Tour, a “Fill the Fridge!” with Instacart, a family craft night, and a sponsored LEGOLAND trip for 40 families.
To benefit from events like these, Carlton advises families to become Blue Star Families members and to check their Facebook for application opportunities.
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