When my father, Odysseus, and his men sailed off to the Trojan War, they were confident their gods favored a quick victory. Instead, the siege of Troy lasted ten years. After Troy fell, the survivors made their way home to Sparta, Mycenae, Pylos, and elsewhere in the ancient Peloponnese. Neither my father nor any of his troops arrived home with the rest. We waited for years as the news grew worse. Odysseus was dead, we were told,or imprisoned, or, worst yet, he had married another woman and abandoned my mother Penelope, my brother Telemachus, and me.


If he is alive somewhere, his thoughts may wander to Penelope and Telemachus, but he won’t be thinking of me. I am the daughter he doesn’t know exists. Odysseus went off to the Trojan War when his son, Telemachus, was barely old enough to walk. His wife, Penelope, was a teenage bride, and is now a young wife, mother, and queen who has to try to rule Ithaca without him.


I was born seven months after he left. I am a hero’s daughter and a princess of his realm, but I have lived my entire life without a father. I’m nineteen now, and still waiting.


All over the world, and throughout history children grow up as I have. This website will focus on the children of those men and women who have gone off to fight America's wars, and provide information and resources for all who care about military families and want to help.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Good Things Come in Tens



In his latest blog on the organization’s website, Joseph Annotti, President of the National Fraternal Congress of America, has created a list of ten reasons why supporting military families is a good idea for fraternal organizations. Most of these apply to all organizations, so if you are wondering what might be a good focus for an activity for your own group, here, in summary,is his list.  For more information, here is a link to his article. 
  1. Every society can participate, whether it can raise $100 or $100,000.
  2. It makes a great activity for special occasions.  The fraternal associations have something called JOIN HANDS DAY, for example. It might be appropriate for some organizations to team with the VFW, American Legion or other military-related organizations to broaden the base for their efforts. 
  3. It provides a direction for fundraising. “Give folks a purpose and a mission and it’s amazing what they can accomplish,” Annotti says.
  4. It creates opportunities for friendly competition among organizations to see who can have the most creative and successful fundraiser. 
  5. People like to feel they are in service to the country in some way. “What’s more patriotic than supporting one of the most overlooked groups so integral to our national defense: the children of men and women serving in the military?” Annotti asks.
  6. It’s easy to make it local, by providing support to children and families living nearby. 
  7. It provides a common cause for organizations big enough to have a number of chapters. This can build cohesiveness and identity for the organization as a whole.
  8. It will dovetail nicely into mission statements, charters, and public policy agendas for many organizations, and can strengthen the message they send to governmental policymakers!
  9. The need is huge, obvious, and ongoing
  10.  It’s easy.  Though this contact info is just for NFCA member groups, (Elizabeth Snyder, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy, at esnyder@nfcanet.org), perhaps there is general information she can provide, or perhaps contacting the local USO, school district, or other service providers would be a good place to start.
Posted by About AART at 7:43 AM

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