TriWest Joins Blue Star Families in Supporting Blue Star Welcome Week
Phoenix, AZ (September 12, 2022) – During the last week of September each year the military community support organization Blue Star Families holds its Blue Star Welcome Week, a national awareness campaign to engage communities in welcoming transitioning military families, U.S. service members, and Veterans into their communities.
This year, from Sept. 24 through Oct. 2, TriWest Healthcare Alliance joined with Blue Star Families to promote Blue Star Welcome Week in support of military families, service members, and Veterans as they begin new experiences in their communities.
“We are proud to be long-time supporters of Blue Star Families and its commitment to build community support for our deserving service members, military families, and Veterans,” said David J. McIntyre, Jr., President and CEO of TriWest Healthcare Alliance. “As an organization that also serves military communities, we share in the mission to support our honored military families and Veterans by connecting them to quality health care in the communities where they live,” he added.
Military families, service members and Veterans have a deep understanding of the challenges that come with transfer or transition, which can sometimes include social isolation and inhibition, and concerns about fitting into a new community or neighborhood.
With an estimated 600,000 active duty and transitioning military families moving to new communities each year, these changes for each individual can be difficult, challenging and exciting all at the same time.
This year’s Blue Star Welcome Week and the related events hosted around the nation aimed to make sure transitioning military families, service members, and Veterans were welcomed and supported in their communities. Welcoming events included virtual events, community coffee connections, sporting events, fitness training and events, social mixers, and much more.
While TriWest’s promotional efforts around the 2022 Blue Star Welcome Week have passed, there are still ways to support the Welcome campaign and the Blue Star Families organization.
Check out these easy ways communities can continue to make a difference:
- Sign a virtual “Welcome Card” for a personal welcome message. All you have to do is fill in your information, write a welcome message and submit it online. This virtual Welcome Card is passed along to families to help them feel more welcome and at home.
- Download a “Welcome to (your community)” sign and welcome military and Veteran-connected families to a local site you enjoy. All that is needed is to print out the sign, fill in the community blank, take a photo or video, and share it on social media with #BlueStarFamilies.
On a more personal level, there are other ways to make a difference in the lives of military and Veteran-connected families. Consider simple acts like introducing yourself and your family, sharing your own experiences, and connecting other families to local resources and services you find helpful.
Additionally, the Blue Star Welcome Week page has specific ideas for Veterans, neighbors, organizations, businesses and service members to get involved. It only requires time and commitment to support your community’s military families, service members and Veterans in their journeys.
Blue Star Families is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening military families by connecting them with their neighbors, local businesses, and organizations to build communities of mutual support. TriWest encourages other organizations, communities and individuals to join with Blue Star Families to ensure that wherever our military families, service members, and Veterans go, they always feel connected, supported and empowered to thrive in their communities.