Senior Kinesiology Major
SPH Student Ambassador
When many
Americans think about the United States military, they think about the men and
women who sacrifice their lives every day for the freedom and safety of the
American people. Unfortunately, many people don’t recognize the hardships their
families deal with as their loved ones serve our country. Fewer than 1% of
Americans served in the armed forces in the past decade, yet they and their
families are suffering from the increased number, length and unpredictability
of the post-9/11 wars. Long and multiple deployments strain families, and it is
up to the 99% of civilians to not only help the veterans when they return home,
but also their family members who are often neglected during the time their
loved one served our country. It is
critical that family professionals properly understand the hardships faced by
military families and apply their knowledge to improve their well-being. Here
in the School of Public Health, the Department of Family Science trains students
to help military families deal with deployments and family reunification through
the Military Families Internship program.
The
Military Families Internship started in the fall of 2011 and the interns serve
at a variety of military and civilian organizations, including Walter Reed
National Military Medical Center, Fort Meade, and the Maryland Office of
Veteran Student Life, just to name a few. Under the direction of Dr. Sally Koblinsky, a professor of family science, students gain real-world experience
with military culture and families dealing with problems such as financial
management, housing and employment issues.
Deanna
Dillingham, a senior family science major and Spanish language and culture
minor, completed an internship last year working with the non-profit
organization, Operation Second Chance located in Germantown, MD. She helped
renovate a house for a military veteran who was severely injured during the war
and became paraplegic, as well as planning and organizing a fashion show to
raise money for Operation Second Chance and the Wounded Warrior Project. This semester, Deanna is interning at the
Army Community Service Center located on the Fort Meade military base. One of her responsibilities
is working with military vets and their spouses on resume writing and
transferring their military experience to real world experience and a good job.
Deanna expresses how hard it is for military vets to get a good paying job; but
she is doing all she can to help solve this problem.
 |
| Jennifer Fink (center), Debbie Fink (left), and Walter Blackwell are the creators of the book The Little CHAMPS photo credit: Harmony Health, LLC |
Another military families intern, Jennifer
Fink, is a junior community health major and military studies minor with a
passion for helping military families and promoting public health. She started her own non-profit
organization called Operation C.H.A.M.P.S. (Child Heroes Attached to MilitaryPersonnel) with a mission to engage college students and civilian communities
in giving back to military families. The organization is devoted to supporting
families in the surrounding community through social services such as
developing awareness and cultural understanding in order to bridge the gap
between the military and civilian worlds. In addition to her organization, Jen
co-authored a children’s book, The LittleCHAMPS, to serve as a therapy tool for children of military members to cope
with the challenges of the deployment of a parent and raise awareness among
civilian children about military life and the challenges faced by their
military peers. Check out her website www.operationchamps.org.
As we
observe Veterans Day (November 11th),
this is a great time to reach out and help a military family in need. The Veterans Day Celebration at the UMD Memorial Chapel on Friday, November 9th, from 12:30 to 1:30pm will bring
together the campus community to honor Terps who have served. Three campus veterans will be sharing
their stories, and thanks to a generous donor, funds will be contributed to the
Veterans Scholarship fund based on the number of students, faculty, and staff
who attend this chapel ceremony. Please support this great cause and help honor
veterans, and certainly don’t forget about the military families who also bear the
hardships surrounding military life.
With the support of UMD student
interns, local communities are improving their military families’ well-being and
providing assistance to families in need through various programs. This
military internship has not only given students valuable knowledge and skills
essential to working with military personnel, but also great appreciation for
the sacrifices made by the men and women serving our country and their
supporting families.
Visit the Veteran Student Life website for more details on University of Maryland programs that support veterans and military members.
Read more about how the University of Maryland School of Public Health's research and service supports veterans and military families:
Visit the Veteran Student Life website for more details on University of Maryland programs that support veterans and military members.
Read more about how the University of Maryland School of Public Health's research and service supports veterans and military families:
- University-State Partnership Targets Maryland Veterans' Mental Health Needs
- Legacy Corps Awarded $5.7 M Grant to Support Military Family Caregivers
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