BLUE STAR MOTHERS OF AMERICA INC, 9 BUCKEYE MILITARY MOMS CHAPTER

501(c)3 VSO (Veterans Service Organization), founded in 1942 and chartered by the US Congress in 1960

Our members are mothers of active duty US military members or US Veterans, while our associate members are family members and friends of the same or community members who would like to support our military members past and present. Our first pillar is supporting our active duty military members. We support active duty members though a variety of avenues, the most popular of which is shipping countless "We Care" packages to those deployed overseas. Another notable program is providing RWB Honor Cords for those graduating high school seniors who have committed to the military. We also provide RFGs, welcome home activities, pre-deployment meetings with requested items. Our second pillar centers around our veterans. We provide hostess tables at Chalmers Wylie VAMC as well as volunteers. We do a Valentines for Vets program that in 2022 allowed us to distribute 2,000 homemade valentines to the veterans through the VAMC, Chillicothe Veterans Hospital, the local VFW, the local American Legion, and neighborhoods. We support the local veterans food pantry and the Central Ohio Stand Down, among many other veteran-led efforts. We find ways to honor them. Our third pillar is to honor our Fallen. We do this by providing Gold Star banners to the families and in any other way that is requested. We promote patriotism and try to honor those who have served or are serving in a multitude of ways from marching in parades and attending memorials to participating in Patriots Day events, Armed Forces Days events and more. And, of course, we serve as a support for each other when our sons or daughters are deployed or our veteran children may be struggling.