It started out five years ago inside a small, former clothing store in downtown Roanoke. Then it was on to the American Legion hall on Apperson Drive in Salem. Now the Military Family Support Center has moved again to larger quarters, sharing space with the CommunUNITY Church in Salem across from Pinkerton Chevrolet.
The ribbon was cut last week with a handful of dignitaries doing the honor, including former Governor and U.S. Senator George Allen, 6th District Congressman Bob Goodlatte, Salem Mayor Randy Foley, State Senator Ralph Smith (R-Botetourt County-Roanoke County), Roanoke City Mayor David Bowers and Roanoke County Supervisor Butch Church also attended. Roanoke state senator John Edwards represented 9th District Congressman Rick Boucher, whose Republican challenger in November, Morgan Griffith, also helped cut the ribbon.
The Military Family Support Center, which hopes to expand its reach to Lynchburg, Radford and other parts of the Commonwealth, provides food, other staples and support to the families of active Armed Forces veterans, when those families need a little extra help.
The center is also a place to network with others experiencing the same emotional and logistical issues, including dealing with a loved one in harm’s way, in Afghanistan and Iraq. Those who can’t afford to spend much money to have the family car fixed for instance, or a fence repaired, may find help through the local network of people and businesses that have pledged to help.
The new space in Salem provides more room for a pantry, which is stocked several times a year with “Fill the Humvee” drives. Household staples, small toys, baby food, even computer supplies are also available. The Military Family Support Center is privately supported – no government money is involved – and is needed in southwest Virginia because there is no local military base where families can get the support needed.
Keynote speaker George Allen spoke briefly with the wife of a soldier who will return from a second tour of Iraq shortly. “No one gets just one tour,” Allen said to Cindy Blevins, a Christiansburg resident, who later sang the National Anthem. “It’s peace of mind, knowing that somebody is there,” said Blevins of the center, “especially for people like us who are [National] Guard or Reserve, and not near a military installation.” (Goodlatte later noted that there are no military bases in the sprawling 6th District.) Blevins said it’s “not always evident,” what services are available to military families.
The Rev. Tom McCracken of CommunUNITY Church agreed to let the Support Center share the space just off Rt. 419. He’s a veteran, as is his wife; their son is scheduled for a tour of Afghanistan soon. “Our church is full of people that have served,” said McCracken.
Allen thanked the local American Legion post, calling it “the brain of this operation,” and commended the support center’s personnel for their “continuing caring and exceptional teamwork.” He also noted that the needs of each family seeking help was “different and varied. [This is] an oasis … where military families can always find a friend.”
Legal advice from Gentry Locke and bi-monthly counseling sessions are also available to the families, who must show current military deployment orders and a valid military ID to take part. The families of those killed in action and veterans associated with the Wounded Warrior project can also gain access to the center in Salem.
Military Family Support Center operations manager Jerry Brittain gets a newsletter out to support center members every month and distributes tickets to events like a BJ Thomas concert (this fall), and the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, diversions that can take someone’s mind off their domestic situation for a few hours. “We try to do things for them that they [wouldn’t] have to do if they were around a base,” said Brittain, a veteran himself.
Goodlatte also noted the Military Family Support Center’s “small and crowded,” humble roots in downtown Roanoke, calling its new home “a great day for Salem and the Roanoke Valley.” He also liked the fact that the privately supported center “isn’t something that came from Washington on down.” The Salem Kiwanis and Rotary clubs helped provide funds for the center’s move. The two organizations are teaming up again for a golf tourney on October 4 (at Hidden Valley CC), with proceeds going to the center.
“We stand by your side while we all stand together for freedom,” Allen told those assembled, which included about a dozen people with family members on active duty.
(See milfamily.org or call 800-8301 for more information about the Military Family Support Center in Salem.)
By Gene Marrano [email protected]