BLUE STAR MOTHERS OF AMERICA INC

I have been asked to share how I came to form Rampart Range Blue Star Mothers of America CO5. It was 2009. I had to adjust to an empty nest when my youngest left home to commission into the Navy. I had heard of Blue Star Mothers of America, a 501(c)3 non-profit service organization which started in 1942, with chapters throughout the country. I was surprised there was not a chapter in Colorado Springs, this being such a military friendly city. The nearest group was in Denver and I had friends who were members of that chapter. But Denver is a long way to drive after a long shift on the phones. I applied to initiate a local chapter here and was put in touch with two other military moms who had also inquired about starting a chapter in Southern Colorado. At our first organizational meeting, we had 20 mothers in attendance. We began an incredible journey of mutual support, friendship, and a mission to provide practical support to each other and to our children in the service.

In the beginning, we all had to support each other through deployments and the fears that mothers face but no one, except a mom in that circumstance, understands. We rejoiced with each other when they returned home safely and we cried and grieved as some of the moms suffered the most excruciating blow of all, the loss of a child. We rejoiced with each other when grandchildren were born. We understood what it was to have someone you love beyond measure struggle with PTSD and the other physical and emotional effects of war. We celebrated with each other as our kids received promotions. Perhaps the most beautiful thing was that it didn’t matter if our kids were officers or enlisted; we were just moms who bled red, white, and blue. We always joked that if they wanted to win the war, they should have sent the moms! We rode in our local Veterans Day parade and tried to blink away tears when grizzled veterans stood and saluted US when we were there to honor them! In the early days, we stood outside the local Wal-Mart in blazing heat and asked for donated items to ship to the war zone when there were no established places where troops could buy toothpaste, snacks, and sanitary products. We lost count of how many boxes we shipped to the Middle East. Our kids finally told us, “no more white socks!” We were deeply moved by the generosity of our community. Our kids always shared the boxes with everyone in their platoons and it was like Christmas for them.

We are honored to attend deployments at the local military air terminal to pass out goodie bags and donated playing cards to deploying troops after they had told their families goodbye. I had to turn away the time one soldier arrived late because his five year old son hid his dad’s military id so he wouldn’t have to leave. We were there to give them a smile and a word of encouragement. Some of them didn’t even look to be 12 years old and we could tell they were scared. They would ask us to promise we would be there when they got back. Many of them remembered us as they deployed again.

Our support activities change over time but our mission to serve does not. We always remember our local Gold Star Mothers, those who made the gravest sacrifice of all, with handmade cards of love and remembrance on Memorial Day. We raise funds to support the Colorado Gold Star Parents Weekend where families gather to remember their children and support one another through the grieving process. USAA has generously supported this event for several years and these families attend at no cost. Selecting Blue Star Mothers for the 2017 USAA Giving Campaign is incredibly humbling. There aren’t words to begin to express our gratitude. It is supremely important to these families that their children not be forgotten and that the families have a safe place to connect with each other and to be agents of healing for each other.

Our Suits for Troops program collects gently used business attire to be given to troops leaving active duty. Most cannot afford the expense to purchase suitable clothing for interviews. We’ve held four drives to date and our incredibly generous community has donated more than 1,000 suits. These garments are distributed through the Transition Assistance Program at Fort Carson. Many of the suits have been donated by widows of veterans who told us their husbands would have wanted their beautiful suits to be donated to and used by our new veterans. Local businesses, media, and the American Legion Post are incredibly supportive.

If you have a child in active duty service, National Guard, or reserves, or if you have a child who served honorably, this is a wonderful organization for you. The website for our local chapter is: http://rrbsm.webs.com/. Be sure to check out the pictures! If you are a military mom in Colorado Springs, we would love to have you join us. But not to worry if you aren’t local, there are chapters all over the U.S. You can find a chapter at www.bluestarmothers.org. You will make friends for a lifetime.

All donations to Rampart Range Blue Star Mothers goes directly to our troops and their families as well as supporting Gold Star Mothers programs. Working on a shoestring budget, we are able to support those who protect all of us.