The Good Life - Nov-Dec 2013

“I have so much pride
in telling people that
my dad has served our
country and I am so
proud of him.”
— Rachel, 15
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Surrounding Support
Another touching story Holly shared
was that of her dad’s return home: “When
we went to go get him from the airport in
October, 2006, we painted him a big sign
that said ‘Welcome home, Dad.’ When he
walked out of security in his uniform, I
think I dropped my corner first, so anxious
to go hug him. Seconds later all six of us
were in a tight group hug and when we let
go, we turned to see that strangers from the
airport were holding our discarded sign.”
Another, different kind of support
comes from organizations like OMK. OMK
offers a variety of resources and connections
for families, intentional programming for
military kids using curricula created by
4-H, and different ways to raise community
awareness. “We want to put a smile on a
kid’s face,” Hahn said. “That’s the ultimate
goal, along with teaching life skills to help
them become more resilient individuals
and better citizens. These families sacrifice
so much to serve our country, and we just
need to do something to give back, honor
them, and support their families.”
Both Rachel and Meghan have become
involved in OMK in different capacities.
Rachel says she volunteers with the youth
council in her hometown, and has babysat
for Air Guard families for free. She has
shared her story of her dad’s deployment