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Military Family Support Group going strong in Sault Ste. Marie
Over the past three years, May Adshead has gone from a military family member seeking support to a Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) employee supporting others.
In 2007, May contacted the North Bay MFRC looking for a support group when her son was deployed to Afghanistan. She was told that her timing was impeccable: the MFRC was looking to start a support group in her local Sault Ste. Marie area. Would she be interested in volunteering to set it up, and connecting with other families experiencing a deployment? She said yes in a heartbeat.
“At our first support group meeting, it was only five or six families,” says May. “It was difficult to find people at the beginning, but we were slowly able to increase community awareness about the group. I have made contacts in the city, and the press has been really supportive.
“Now, we have about 75 families on our email list, and growing.”
May’s position has also grown too, from volunteer support group leader to MFRC Family Separation and Reunion Coordinator for the Sault Ste. Marie area. She keeps an office in the local armoury, and holds a monthly Military Family Support Group meeting at the Branch 25 Royal Canadian Legion.
Sault Ste. Marie is home to an army reserve unit, and the majority of family members in the support group are parents and siblings. May also supports the families of regular force members who are posted across Canada whose families live in Sault Ste. Marie.
With the support of the North Bay MFRC, May has expanded the services available in Sault Ste. Marie to include “Warm Heart Line” phone calls to the families of deployed personnel, respite child care, resource and information sharing, and help communicating with deployed Canadian Forces (CF) personnel through care packages and letters. She offers more formal means of support through pre-, during, and post-deployment information sessions and Battlemind training.
Recently, May has also organized a children’s Christmas party, and a Volunteer Appreciation dinner to recognize the dozens of volunteers who keep the support group’s activities running.
In 2010, the Military Family Support Group will focus on raising awareness in their community, and expanding its fundraising efforts. May is partnering with a local Old Time Radio Mystery Theatre group for a fun, original event in February. She is also expanding on the local Red Friday golf tournament she has organized for the past three summers to include multiple MFRCs and CF communities across the country.
Looking back over the past few years, May is pleased that the support available to local CF families continues to grow and evolve. “The experience has been totally amazing,” she says. “The community has been incredibly supportive of our military families, as are communities across the country. It gives me great pride in our country, and in our troops.”
