Celebrate Children Of The Military In April

It may seem like being a kid is all fun and games, with hanging out with friends, extra-curricular activities and going to school. But the reality is, it's not that easy. If you have a parent – or parents – that are service members, it can be even more challenging.

Having a parents in the military can mean dealing with new schools, new cities, regular moves to new cities and, of course, seeing a parent get deployed. To recognize the hard work and courage of military children, the Department of Defense has named April as the Month of the Military Child (MOMC). MOMC is a time to honor military youth for the important role they play in contributing to the strength of their military families. This year is the 30^th anniversary of MOMC, after Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger established the observation in 1986.

Purple is the official color of MOMC because it's the color that symbolizes all branches of the military; it's a combination of Army green, Coast Guard blue, Air Force blue, Marine red and Navy blue. Army bases, state youth program coordinators, Army Reserve services coordinators and Operation: Military Kids state teams plan events ranging from picnics and parades to fun festivals. To celebrate MOMC locally, check out this event locator.

This year there is also a "Young Lives, Big Stories" contest that is open to active duty Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve children from pre-school through 12^th grade. This year, drawings and essay submissions must answer the question "What does it mean to you to be a military child?" Also, for teens, Operation Megaphone will take place for a 24 hour period from April 29-30. The event is led by the Joint Service Teen Council and will connect teens from all military branches worldwide.

How To Help Veterans And Their Families

Whether you have a service member in your family or not, there's an easy way to help veterans with the programs they need when they return home. Car donation can help to ensure that veterans and their families have everything they need during the transition back to everyday life at home. If Vehicles For Veterans is a cause that you’d like to support, please contact us today. Call us at 1-855-811-4838 or fill out our online car donation form. Your donation helps to improve the lives of veterans in your community, and it also benefits you. Car donation provides you with a fast and easy way to dispose of an unwanted vehicle, free pick up or towing of most makes and models of vehicles, and a great tax deduction. What could be better than that?