It’s Wednesday March 11 . . . morale package day. This evening, I will bring together parents and volunteers for some social time, assembling and wrapping morale packages for Islanders who are currently deployed to various areas of the world. It’s a project that covers four of our Canadian seasons/holidays, which means quarterly evenings such as this.
This one evening takes a considerable amount of coordination, and the arrangements leading up to the activity begin soon after the last parcels have been mailed.
I have appreciated the assistance of a 4th year UPEI student, Sue Pollard, who has been working with me since last fall. The morale package project brings together, in a practical way, all the elements she has been learning regarding a Military Family Resource Centre: support, information, connection, networking, community awareness, community appreciation, family dynamics, and even a smidge of politics.
We have worked on an appropriate solicitation letter to garner donations from the civilian community. She and a volunteer canvassed local businesses & organizations to talk about the positive impact of sending and receiving these morale packages. The generous and practical results of those visits then have to be picked up and added to the cache. So, we have a variety of items, all with a “down-home PEI flavour” waiting to be organized, packed, and wrapped.
Of course we can’t do all this without some fun, so a bit o’ music and snacks add to the enthusiasm of the folks who give their time for a great initiative.
Added to the parcels is a note from us, stating the names of the businesses, organizations, and individuals who participated in the effort. From an administrative side, there are phone calls and emails to units and MFRCs across the country to find out who is currently deployed, a call-out for volunteers to lend a hand, itemized lists of content labels to be printed, thank-you notes to write, certificates of appreciation to print, frame, and deliver . . . the list goes on.
In April, the student I have worked with throughout the school year is graduating and will move on to start her own career working with families. Explaining the “who, what, when, where, why, and how” of our work gave me the opportunity to reflect on and re-affirm the importance of MFRCs in the military community.
Sue, it has been a pleasure to work with you. I hope the experience has given you valuable insight to a unique way of life that leads to special family dynamics. Thank you for your assistance, congratulations on your achievement, and best of luck as you begin your career.
This post was written by Program Coodinator Bernadine Mullin-Splude.
Well done! there is so much behind the scenes that we don’t always see. Thank you for bringing a Home Connection to our CAF who are away. Cheers Margaret